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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:13:02 GMT
Originally posted by CBK. The sounds of bullets ricocheting off walls intertwined with the shrieks of panic throughout the city. Between the shrieking was the sound of glass breaking upon impact. The man adjusted his cap to cover his blond hair as he ascended from the steps flanked by two others. As windows shattered, sending fire and glass bustling out into the cobbled streets, the blond-haired man continued his slow walk towards a waiting caravan of cars - three in total. The unfamiliar sound of the emergency sirens wailed throughout the town, but the inhabitants stood frozen in fear and disbelief. This area, the neutral zone, was agreed upon by both sides as the one place that the World’s War would not breach. They had no drills to prepare them for this because this was never supposed to happen.
The rules of war had been turned upside down, and he enjoyed it. How can you expect someone to fight fair when it is a fight to the death? He thought to himself as he entered the backseat of the front car. The two men took their places in the car with him - one on the opposite of the backseat and the other in the passenger seat. The caravan lurched forward blowing smoke into the air. The once white snowflakes that fell upon their arrival had turned an ashen grey. He placed his hand out the window and waved forward, catching a snowflake in the process. “We often speak of the physical casualties of war that impact man but hardly ever speak of the environmental impacts that it has. "Why is that?” he wondered as the once war-deprived area slowly turned into exactly what they were once shielded from.
[/HR] Shawn Summers in
WAR ZONE “Why do you want to go to war,” she softly said as she scrubbed the remnants of food off the plate. “I want to be a hero,” he answered back with trepidation. She scoffed at his answer and turned off the water, patting her hands dry on her apron. She didn’t understand, but how could she understand what it meant to fight in a war? War is for boys to become men and men to become legends. There had been peace for more than a hundred years on the continent. This could be his only chance to cement his legacy as a hero.“Who would you be a hero to Shawn? Would you be a hero to the families who will lose their sons, fathers, and brothers at your hands? Will you be a hero to the people that have their way of life turned upside, hmm?” she questions while forcefully putting dishes in the cupboard. “You want to become a hero at the expense of the world all because a bunch of Victoria’s children couldn’t get along.”She was thinking too emotionally. Women almost always thought with their emotions. That’s why they would never be suited for war. In war, you have to think strategically and have your next move planned before you execute your current.“I would be a hero to everyone here,” he said with shaky confidence. “I would be a hero to my country.”
“You’re a child,” she said as she rolled her eyes and continued to put away dishes.“I’m a man,” he pounded his fist on the table and shouted. “I’m a man and the man of this house now. I’m going to war to protect you from those men who want to take the lives of sons, fathers, and brothers. I’m going to war to protect you from those men who want to come and turn your world upside down. I’m going to war to protect you from the world created by Victoria’s children,” he says with a sternness she had never experienced from her son. It had been hard to see him as anything but the little boy that would run from his brothers and seek protection from her. In her eyes, he was still her baby but in his, he was a man willing to do whatever and experience whatever to become the hero that not only she needed but the people of the fatherland needed too.
A prolonged silence filled the room as the two sat with the thoughts. He shakily grabbed the bag that sat at his feet and rose from the table. His mother’s eyes glistened as she attempted to hold back tears. This was the fourth time she would be saying goodbye to a loved one - unsure if he would make it back. He embraced her with a prolonged hugged and wiped her tears away before planting a kiss on her forehead. He quickly turned around a wiped his own tears - he couldn’t show her that he was sad too or else she’d never him leave.
The sun was bright and the temperature was high as he exited his home. Two men, about the same age as him, signaled for him to come over. He acknowledged both men with quick hugs and signaled for them to start walking. “This is it, boys,” said one of the men with a grin from ear to ear. “We’re going to be fucking heroes after this. They’re going to worship us when we come back.”“The line between worship and mourning is pretty thin,” says the other man. Although much hadn’t been said, the conversation was a perfect characterization of them. Trevor, the first man to speak, was filled with blind optimism about life and was headstrong to a fault when he believed in what he was doing. Noah, the other man to speak, was more realistic about things and careful with his view of the world. Their reasons for going to war were different and yet the same as Shawn’s.
As they approached the check-in station for military deployment they were astonished to see how large of a crowd enlistment had drawn. It seemed like there were men from all over the fatherland ready to put their bodies on the line. One by one they were brought into lines to check in for physical examination. “Summers! Shawn Summers” called a booming voice. Shawn raised his hand and the burly man dressed in his finest military regalia waved for him to follow. Shawn looked back at his two friends as he was led behind a curtain where a small cot lay and a nurse waited in preparation for his examination. As the inspection began Shawn began to feel less and less sure about his decision to join the war. As they commanded him to turn, lift his arm, cough, breath in, breath out, and spread his legs he started to realize that once he was deemed fit and acceptable, his body would no longer be his. Upon enlisting his autonomy wouldn’t be his anymore it would be the Fatherlands. Was this what he really wanted? Was his individuality something that he was willing to give up just to become a hero? “Well, he is quite the specimen,” said the burly man to the nurse as they finished his exam. “He’s exactly what we’re looking for. He looks almost like he was built to do this. To be in combat. To be a warrior.” The nurse nodded her head in agreement as they continued to make marks on his chart. Shawn continued to look around nervously until he was addressed by the officer.
“Tell me, boy. Why do you want to enlist?”Shawn takes a moment to answer before clearing his throat, standing up tall, and answering. “I want to enlist to become a hero to the fatherland and his people. I want to enlist to be the protector of all things that are right and just in this world and stop the spread of the immorality and unholy ideals that our enemies bring. I want to be immortalized, sir,” Shawn says with enough confidence and passion that even he believes it. The nurse smiles and pats him on the shoulder as the officer nods his head in approval.
“Immortalized you will be, son. Head to line five where you will receive your uniform, and identification. The frontlines will make a hero out of you, my boy.” he says with sarcasm in his voice that Shawn was unable to catch at the time.
After receiving his uniform and identification, Shawn looks around the crowded auditorium for his friends. He jumps as he feels someone wrap their arm around him -startling him in the process. “Shit, Trevor, you scared the hell out of me,” he says to the young man from earlier.
Trevor was excited as he stood with his uniform, bag of clothes, and identification. He was tall - about as tall as Shawn but had slightly more mass on him. He had blue eyes and brown hair that was cut low on the sides but allowed some length on the top. He and Shawn had been friends for a while - bonding over their love for history and the stories of great triumphs and conquests of the war heroes from the past.
The other man from earlier approached with his belongings and smirked at the other two. Noah was his name. He’d been friends with Shawn for the same amount of time as Trevor but it was sometimes hard to understand his friendship with the two. He was so different from them and that may have been why they were drawn to him. When they had their heads in the clouds about ideas and theories he would bring them back to reality. He kept them grounded and they opened his mind to possibilities he had never considered.“We’re going to the frontlines, boys,” Trevor says with excitement in his voice. “We’re going to see combat firsthand. How many people get to say that they stopped our lands from being invaded by outsiders? How many people can say that when it was man versus man they were the ones that came out on top? This is a big fucking deal, gentleman,” he said eliciting a smile from Shawn and a head nod from Noah.
The three found a corner of the room to get dressed in their uniform and exited into the sunny warmth outside. Noah handed each man cigarette and lit it for them.“Enjoy that cigarette. It’ll be the last one we have for a while.”“They don’t allow us to smoke,” Shawn asked with genuine surprise. Surely the military wouldn’t tell them they couldn’t do something to relieve the stress and pressure that comes with war, right?“The light from the end of the cigarette would give away your position at night and make you an easy target to aim for. Mix that in with you having a lit cigarette around a bunch of explosives and I think they have a pretty good reason for not wanting us to smoke while in combat.” Noah had some insight into the war and the frontlines due to his brother’s involvement in the effort. He had two years before and would write home when he could and Noah would share the ones that his mom said he could with Shawn and Trevor.
The three smoked in silence. Their last moments of autonomy were dwindling down. At the drop of the cigarette but they would be hopping onto the caravan and making their way through Luxemburg and Germany before arriving in France where they would finally get the chance to be the heroes they wanted to be.
Of the thousands of men and boys that would enlist today more than 90% of them wouldn’t make it past their first week of combat. Too often men enter a war with the thought of victory and become overwhelmed with the intelligence, strategy, and hope that the opposing force slips up before they do. The vast majority of the enlistees know how to fire a gun, and if they don’t they will learn quickly. However, there is no way to learn how to kill someone. It’s something that you do or don’t do. In a fight to the death, what societal rule are you willing to break in order to keep your life?
[/HR] [HEADING=2] ONE YEAR LATER[/HEADING] A lot can happen in a year's time and a lot can stay the same. While the men who signed up for the war had either changed or died in this time period, the action at the front line had relatively stayed the same. Neither army had advanced much since but the number of men that had perished steadily increased as the days went on. It was almost pointless to make new friends during the downtimes because it was almost certain that either you or them would be dead the next time around.
Shawn, Noah, and Trevor had managed to survive and stay in the same company as one another throughout it all. Noah and Trevor worked well as a duo - predicting the moves of one another, having each other's back during moments of despair, and racking up a kill count that had impressed the members of the senior command. Although it had been reported that Shawn had killed many men in combat he in fact had killed none. He couldn’t bring himself to take the life of another who was simply trying to survive in a war that meant nothing to either of them but everything to the people furthest away from danger. He was always with Noah and Trevor so many had assumed and noted that his kill count was within the same area as theirs.
It had been months since Shawn had had a decent sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he could envision the dismembered bodies of men he rode into battle with splattered around him. When his mind wasn’t thinking of the mutilated bodies his ears were picking up the sounds of rats scurrying about, nibbling at the bodies of those abandoned in the trenches. Other officers had told him that eventually, his mind would tune the sounds out but it never came for him.
Unable to sleep, Shawn exited the makeshift barrack within the trench and made his way for Noah and Trevor who were on guard duty. Noah turned and smiled at Shawn as he approached while Trevor simply gave him a head nod.“Couldn’t sleep?”“Naw, man. Can’t keep my head clear long enough to pass out. How’re things going out there,” Shawn says motioning to the fields just over the trenches. Noah yawned and shrugged before answering.“You know how it is. Once nightfall hits this place gets pretty quiet. Kind of like an unofficial pact between the two sides.”
“That’s never made sense to me. We should be attacking them right now. Imagine how much ground we could make if we gassed them from above and below at night.”“It’s terrible to hear you talk like that, Shawn,” Trevor said in a hushed tone. The war had completely changed Trevor and Noah, flipping their personalities. Noah seemed to thrive and genuinely enjoy this environment and all that it brought while Trevor drifted further and further away from seeing himself as the hero that he once read books about.
Noah gently taps Shawn on the arm and shakes his head. “Don’t listen to him, Shawn. He always gets like this when he gets a chance to reflect, but when the sun comes up and the bullets start flying all that talk goes out the window.”“It’s because I’m fighting for me life,” Trevor snaps at Shawn and Noah. "It’s because we’re all fighting for our lives and I don’t want to have my life ended in a trench where the commanding officers will leave my body to be eaten by a bunch of fucking rats. I don’t want that for any of us so I fight and then have to be haunted by the things I did at night.”“No one said being a hero would be easy,” Noah responds with a smirk.
He was right though. They both were. Being a war hero wasn’t easy. It was never going to be. The weight of killing someone who is so similar to you but came from somewhere else weighs on your mind heavily. They don’t tell you that when they give you your physical. No, they just make sure you’ll be able to die for them and sacrifice your mind for them
[/HR] As their unit moved about the trenches and tried to capture ground in other areas of France the troops found themselves in a small village in the countryside. It looked to have been all but abandoned except for some stray dogs and cats. Shawn was tasked with checking out the main building along with a group of men he wasn’t particularly familiar with except for one. He knew him from school, he was a year or two above him. Phillip was his name and he had commanded a lot of respect during their time. He was great at soccer and had brought them home championship gold. If it weren’t for the war he would have certainly gone on to play professionally.
Phillip acted as the leader of the group as they entered the building, carefully checking each room in case of an ambush. It was two stories tall with a basement according to the map left at the entrance. This may have been the city hall before the war but now it was just a semi-demolished building that would be their housing for the night.“Alright, everything looks good on the main floor and upstairs. I’m thinking there may be some previsions or something we can use in the basement,” Phillip said as Shawn and the other three men returned from checking around. They opened the door to the basement and were met with darkness. Phillip instructed one of the men, Brock was his name, to go forward with the lantern he brought. Brock obliged and began to lead the team down the stairs, carefully marching down every other step as to not make too much noise and get down quicker. The next one to walk down the steps was Brock’s cousin Dave. Those two were inseparable. They had joined the army in Austria and believed in the fight. That was rare but seen as admirable by the officers of the fatherland.
Shawn stayed in the back watching closely as Brock entered the basement and waved down the rest of the crew once he had met the bottom. The light from the windows of the building shined into the room and Shawn noticed a glistening spider web at foot level as you entered the basement door frame. Brock had missed it when he entered tip-toeing to the next step but Dave wouldn’t miss it. Shawn immediately knew what it was and grabbed the backpacks of Phillip and the other recruit, Zed, pulling them back as Dave’s body exploded and the foundation around him crumbled trapping Brock within. Shawn, Zed, and Phillip managed to get back to their feet as the building began to collapse around them. “They fucking left a trip grenade here,” Phillip yelled as he scurried to his feet and began running toward the entrance. Shawn and Zed followed close behind as the building that they once thought would be their shelter around them crumbled into the grave that would be Brock and Dave’s.
The members of their unit checked them over as the building crumbled down around them. Shawn looked at Phillip and could see that he had splashes of blood on his face and uniform. He immediately felt his mouth begin to become filled with thick, mucus-like saliva before moving away from the group to vomit.
“Hey, hey, knock that shit off. You stop that shit right now,” Noah says bringing Shawn up from a hunched-over position. Noah has that serious look in his eye that he used to have before they joined. Shawn tried to contain his stomach and wiped the remnants from his face.“What the hell happened in there? Did you encounter the enemy troops? Is that what made the building come down” Noah asked with a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Shawn pushed Noah away and went to check on Zed and Phillip as their commanding officer directed them to keep moving. The commotion of the building coming down would surely bring the opposing forces to their location and they needed to keep moving.
Noah knew that Shawn needed a minute and respected it. While he got excitement out of the thrill of battle, Shawn still hadn’t adjusted to it. Death impacted him more than they realized. Seeing Brock and Dave die right in front of him and saving Zed and Phillip from the same fate would stick with Shawn for a long time.
[/HR] As they marched onward toward their goal, the number of people deserting the army started to increase. They were cowards to some but geniuses to others. Cowards for giving up on the war effort and protecting our peace and geniuses to realize that for them there were only two ways out of here - a body bag or by desertion. Noah hated them but Shawn understood their decision. When they would ask Trevor about it he seemed indifferent at first but his responses started to drift more towards him understanding and encouraging the decision - even though he wouldn’t and couldn’t do it.
It was hard to get a good meal during these times so it wasn’t lost on the troops when the commanding officers were able to hunt a deer lost from its herd or shoot down a bird attempting to escape the war-torn land. For lunch today they would have the final remnants of a doe they had killed a while back and wine they had found left behind in one of the many villages they had passed through.
Shawn, Noah, and Trevor each filled their bowls with the stew made from the vegetables and the meat of the doe and made their way to the makeshift pallet they had made in the snow to eat. Trevor had secured them their own bottle of wine that they passed around. It was moments like this that took Shawn back to their days of hanging out during free periods at school.“When this things over, I think I’m gonna go travel for a little bit and then come back and become a teacher,” Trevor says between slurps of his stew. Noah and Shawn laugh at Trevor’s idea, pushing him playfully as the bottle of wine gets passed around. “You want to travel,” Noah says quizically. He stands up and motions his hands around before beginning again. “That’s what the military is for. You get to travel around the world all the time. This is the furthest any of us have been from home and we can thank the military for that,” he says in a matter-of-fact manner.“So, it’s safe to say that you’ll be staying in the military after all of this is done.”“Absolutely. I used to laugh at you all when you would talk about how being in the military would be fun and fighting in wars and battles would make you a hero. I thought all that shit was naive and dumb until I experienced it. The adrenaline rush of you versus them. Your life or theirs. The feeling that any moment could be your last and seeing the person that was trying to kill you take their last breath, there’s nothing like it.”Trevor shakes his head in disappointment at Noah’s answer and Shawn continues eating. Though Noah wouldn’t say it out loud it was obvious to everyone that he enjoyed the killing aspect of fighting in a war. Seeing his opponents in agony, scared for their life because of him and what he could do gave him immense pleasure. It was frightening to see him transform into this person. Shawn often thought to himself that maybe this was who Noah truly was and it made him happy that Noah was on their side and cared about them. To be on the other side of the battlefield and see him charging with glee at you is enough to destroy your psyche. “What about you, Shawn?” Noah asks bringing him back to reality. “What’re you gonna do after this is all over?” The sound of gunshots in the distance cuts Shawn off before he can respond and gains the attention of everyone in the regiment. On the horizon, they can see opposing troops shooting and arranging blockades with the leftover debris in the area. The three immediately drop their plates and regroup with the troops. As Shawn scrambles to rejoin the team his pants leg is yanked by something below. He instinctively kicks it away and realizes that it was Phillip. He was holding his neck - his hand covered in blood that continued to pour out of the hole the bullet had left. Phillip tried to speak but nothing but blood came out. Shawn watched in horror as he lay dying beneath him. There was nothing he could he had to keep moving toward cover and his riffle. As he turned to run he could feel his entire body shift to the side and fall into the snow from a tackle by a member of the opposing force.
He had caught Shawn off guard and was taking advantage of the moment as his troops began to close in on the unit. Shawn tried his best to block his punches but found himself eating rights and lefts to the face. The soldier stopped his punches and gripped Shawn’s neck choking him with more force than he had ever felt before. His arms were pinned down under the knees of the soldier making it almost impossible for him to move them around.
This was it. He could feel himself getting further and further away as the soldier's grip intensified around his neck. Shawn’s eyes began to feel heavy and the pain around his neck started to subdue. He was dying. At that moment, he had accepted that this was the end. When you go to war you have two options when it comes to death - you can die a hero or you can die a coward. Shawn would die a coward. Afraid to do what was necessary to stay alive. Only ever managing to get lucky that he wasn’t killed sooner. No one would write about him because there was nothing to write about. He was as forgettable as the other men that died during this war. This pointless war.
He heard a loud bang and the loosening of the man's grip around his neck. The man's body had fallen atop him and Shawn gasped for air now that he could breathe. There was a mixture of gunshots and explosions all around him as he held his neck and caught his breath. He somehow managed to push the soldier's body off of his and is forcefully brought to his feet by Trevor who is being guarded against enemy fire by Noah.“What the fuck is wrong with you, Shawn,” Trevor shouted at him as they began to run from the gunfire. “This is what you wanted. All of this is what you wanted! You wanted to come to war and become a fucking hero. They saw you as a perfect recruit, but all you’ve been since we’ve got here is a fucking disappointing coward,” Trevor says as he shoves Shawn from behind causing him to almost fall forward. “I should’ve left you back there to die. That’s what you want anyways.”
“NO, IT’S NOT,” Shawn shouts at him as they approach a hiding spot. “I don’t want to die, but I can’t take a life. I can’t be like you and Noah. I can’t be a hero.”
“Then you’ll die a coward”, Noah interjects. “Stay back here while we go and clear this out. Can’t be preoccupied with saving you if you won't save yourself.” Noah rushes back into combat as Trevor looks over the disheveled Shawn. He shakes his head and joins Noah as Shawn, breathing heavily, takes in both of their words.
The battle seemed like it lasted for hours but in reality, had only lasted for fifteen minutes. They managed to drive back the enemy forces but suffered quite a few casualties. One of the running medics, a soft, beautiful young, caramel-skinned woman who had joined them on their journeys had perished. She was one of the first death in the ambush. Each death weighed heavy on Shawn as they trekked to their next destination. Maybe one person could have been saved if he didn’t freeze when the moment called for him to step up.
[/HR] There was rumbling that the war would be over soon, but no one took that talk seriously. It had been weeks since the last encounter with the enemy and the regiment was grateful for the moment of reprieve. Shawn had attempted to pretend like what happened between himself, Noah, and Trevor on the battlefield hadn’t happened but it was too hard to forget for any of them. Noah viewed Shawn as a liability and couldn’t hide his disdain for his cowardice. Trevor attempted to keep up appearances because of their history but knew that Noah’s view was right. Shawn would get them killed and they couldn’t risk that for someone who didn’t want to save themself. “Stocke, Ocean, it’s your turn to get food,” ordered one of the officers. “We passed by a ranch a little while back that I’m sure you could probably get some eggs and maybe some sliced meats from. See what you can get and bring it back to us.” You can take Summers with you if you want. Maybe use him as a bartering token with the farmers,” he said with a laugh that was reciprocated by the others in the unit.
The three walked almost the entire way in silence. They didn’t have much to talk about anymore. The war had changed them - Noah and Trevor had become men thanks to the war but Shawn remained a boy.
They approached the farm and Noah put his arm in front of Shawn stopping him from advancing. “ Why don’t you stay out here while I and Trevor go and get what we need,” he suggested. Shawn wanted to protest but knew it would be in vain. He was a liability that Trevor and Noah didn’t want to depend on. The two walked up to the drive leading to the farm and carefully snuck into the barn. Shawn analyzed his surroundings while waiting. Everything was quiet. The sounds of anything moving in the distance caught everything’s attention. He studied the sign in front of the barn - it was a french name. He tried to sound it out to himself.“Bor-dex? Bor-duh?” he said to himself unsure how to pronounce Bordeaux. He looked up the drive up at the house and noticed a young woman, she couldn’t have been older than 14, staring at him from one of the windows. He waved in an attempt to not alarm her but she quickly disappeared. “Fuck,” he muttered to himself. He needed to get to Noah and Trevor and get them out of there. He walked onto the property towards the barn but was quickly alerted to the sound of a door bursting open. A young man in his mid-twenties had emerged from the house followed by the young girl. As he charges toward the barn with his shotgun, Shawn charges towards him with enough force to take him to the ground.
The young man drops the gun upon being tackled and immediately attempts to get Shawn off of him but to no avail. Shawn struggles to hold the man down as he grabs up at him and trashes around madly to get free. The young woman rushes for the barn and locks the door, trapping Noah and Trevor in there. She rushes to her brother's aide, jumping on Shawn’s back and clawing at his face. Shawn immediately hops to his feet and attempts to rustle her off of his back. He manages to grab hold of her arm and flips her over his front crashing into the ground.
The scratches from her sting as the cold air whisps against Shawn’s face. He notices the brother crawling for the shotgun and he immediately rushes and punts kicks him in the gut. The young girl is right behind Shawn after he punts her brother and she punches and kicks at him. He forcefully pushes her away. “Stop,” the young man yells at the young girl as she tries to get back up. “Do what we talked about. I’ll take care of him,” he says as he gets to his feet and approaches Shawn. Shawn attempts to run toward the shotgun but is caught in a chokehold by the man. He has the chokehold locked in tight despite Shawn’s best attempts at flailing around to cause him to lose his grip. Shawn was fading again as he squeezed tighter and tighter around Shawn’s kneck. Shawn looked at the barn and could see it slowly catching fire from the base.
The farmers in the countryside had been told by the French government to light their crops and livestock on fire if they were ambushed or about to be robbed by the opposing forces. There was no way for Noah and Trevor to escape the barn so they would burn alive and he would die here - a coward attempting to play the role of hero for the first and last time. “Just fucking die,” the man said as he squeezed tighter on the chokehold. In one last ditch effort, Shawn moved his hands over his body reaching for something. He had finally gotten what he needed and the sound of two loud bangs occurred simultaneously causing the birds to fly from the trees, and the forest animals to retreat into hiding at the familiar sound. Slowly the young man's chokehold weakened around until he had fully released Shawn. He fell to the ground in disbelief as blood began to pour from his side all around him. Shawn gasped for air and shot into the air with his pistol on accident.
The young woman shrieked in horror as she observed her brother lying on the ground with blood coming from him. She attempted to run towards his body but Shawn shot towards her, stopping her advance. He breathed heavily as he picked up the shotgun and emptied the shells that were in the chamber. The barn was beginning to burn faster and faster as the animals inside shrieked for help. Shawn took notice of this and started his approach. As he walked past the young man's body he unloaded two more shots into him - ensuring that he was dead. Shawn walked past the young girl who rushed to be at her brother's side as Shawn shot the lock on the barn door, opening it and freeing Noah and Trevor.
Shawn turns his attention to the young girl who glares at him with hatred and vengeance in her eyes. He slowly approaches and kneels down in front of her. She greets him with a forceful slap, then another, and another until Shawn grabs her wrist. “BASTARD! DER BASTARD!,” she screams at him between sobs. “This war has taken everything from my family! And for what?!?! For WHAT?!?! Answer me, you bastard!”Shawn palms her face and pushes her backward before rising to his feet. “You talk about this war as if you’ve actually experienced it. As if you’ve been in the trenches and seen bodies all around you. This war took nothing from you except for people and things that can and will be replaced. This war took something from me that can never be returned something that could have had if you just stayed in that fucking house,” he says with agony in his voice. “This war took my innocence. It took my dreams. It took my everything!”He motions for Trevor and Noah to follow him as the barn burns in the background. The sound of the young woman screaming bastard at Shawn can be heard over the sounds of the flames dancing in the wood of the barn. He turns around and fires one final shot at the young woman catching her in the chest - he had aimed for the head. Shawn looks at Noah and Trevor. Noah smiles at Shawn while Trevor can’t look him in the eye - not anymore at least.“Bastard. I quite like that name. Der Basterd,” he says with a chuckle as the trio walks away.
[/HR] The war would come to an end a few weeks later on November 11 -
ending the first world war and setting the groundwork for the eventual predecessor, World War II.
World War II. The war where we met our hero, Der Basterd. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:13:20 GMT
Originally posted by Jam.
Birthday
by Gerald Grayson
Anytime the Mile High Massacre match occurs, those involved in the match are never the same by the end of it. Being a part of the most recent Mile High Massacre match, I can attest to the previous statement. I had just retrieved the tag titles climbing over a giant lumberjack while Michelle took a nasty fall. As soon as the match ended, I aided the FWA medical team in putting Michelle, Uncle, and Harry on stretchers to get them to the back for medical attention. Everyone was responsive thankfully. Harry, loving the attention he was getting, threw a thumbs up for the crowd that garnered a few cheers, but more boos.
Fast forward to January 1st; it’s been a week since Fallout 24 where Michelle and I survived the Mile High Massacre match against four other teams and it’s only now that I got a call from the FWA doctor that everyone was stable enough to have visitors. I was lucky enough to come out of the match with a few bruises and no major injuries, but the same couldn’t be said for Michelle, Uncle, and Harry. I didn’t know exactly what their injuries were but after what went down during the match, I’d be shocked if they didn’t have any.
“I’m sorry sir. We don’t have a patient named Uncle at this hospital,” the nurse informed me, checking her computer again before responding.
“What do you mean he’s not a patient at this hospital?!” I questioned loudly enough for those around to look our way to see what the commotion was about. I turned my back to the nurse, letting out a few deep breaths before turning back to her.
I scratched my head profusely with my right hand as my left hand carried a bouquet of flowers in them. I sighed heavily before changing my demeanor to a happier tone.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry for yelling earlier,” I paused, smiling at the nurse. “I just want to see how my friends are doing. Can you please check if there is a patient named Harry the Sane Wizard?”
The nurse rolled her eyes, not believing the act I’m putting on.
“Let’s see, Sane… Wizard,” she began typing on her computer. “He’s in room J12,”
“One last one, if I may. Where can I find Michelle von Horrowitz’s room?” I asked, forcing a smile, knowing the nurse has had enough of me. She looked at her computer and typed profusely in an annoyed manner.
“Ms. von Horrowitz is in the room next to Mr. Sane Wizard in J13,” the nurse informed me, looking back down at her computer to attend to the work she was doing before I bothered her.
“Thank you very much,” I said, performing a slight bow before leaving the front desk area and proceeding to the patient rooms.
As I walked down the white, wide halls of the Serbian hospital, I began to think of all the possibilities of why Uncle wouldn’t be at this particular hospital. They brought Michelle and Harry here, so why isn’t he here? Maybe he needs more medical attention than we thought. Maybe he needs a special kind of medical treatment. The most logical response I came up with is that he refused medical treatment and went to his own medical institution. After that fall, I don’t blame him. He’s probably going to be out for a while unless a miracle happens. Wouldn’t surprise me if he availed of medicine not from Earth. Whatever it is, I hope he’s alright.
Finally, I arrived at J12, Harry’s room. I don’t know why I felt nervous all of sudden. Sweat began to form on my forehead and my heart started racing. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, clinging to the flowers I had in hand a little too tight, causing a few petals to fall. My mind went back to the hospital Jay and I were in. I knew if I continued down this path, I’d find myself needing medical attention. Instead, I shifted my thoughts elsewhere while continuing those breathing exercises. A few moments later, I opened my eyes and thankfully, my nervousness went away. I looked around me, hoping no one saw the panic episode I just had. I let out one more deep breath before turning the knob on the door.
It was quiet, a little too quiet. It was also really cold. So much so, that I could feel the hairs on my forearms standing. I put the flowers for Michelle on the nearby table and looked around the room. It looked like any other hospital room and smelled like it too, clean but smelled of an aroma that was artificial. I didn’t spot Harry right away as I noticed a table to the side housing a bunch of snacks like chips and cookies and a big, brown teddy bear. I looked at the card placed at the forefront and it had Thomas and Quiet’s names on there. Well fuck. They’ve outdone me again. Oh well, I’m sure Harry will appreciate the flowers I got for him.
I laid down the bouquet of red roses I got for Harry next to the big, brown teddy bear before turning towards Harry. I wasn’t even sure if it was him because his whole body was wrapped in a cast. His left leg and right arm had to be suspended upwards by a support stand. I could only see his eyes and his mouth as they weren’t taped up.
This is Harry’s condition after a week? I thought he’d be in better shape than this. Anger started building up inside of me as I remember Dan LuPone putting Harry through a ladder. Poor guy. Despite his antics, Harry was a good kid. I’ve drawn nearer to him with each adventure the Nephews went on. I hated to see him in this condition.
“I’m sorry Harry,” I said in a low, sorrowful tone.
I took a seat next to him, looking down at the floor. My mind started racing through a million scenarios, thinking of ways I could’ve prevented this. At that time, I hit a Moonsault onto Savage that took a lot out of me surprisingly. When I got up from that, I was dizzy, so I felt for anything to hold onto and what was near me was a ladder. I decided to get rid of it so no one could use it. After that, I remember blanking out for a few minutes on the outside. This is probably something I should’ve told the FWA doctors but when they checked me out after the match, I was good to go immediately. Even so, I was frustrated with myself that I couldn’t save Harry.
I needed to re-focus because up next in the F1 tournament, I’m booked against Lizzie Rose. Choosing to look forward to what’s next brought a calmness over me. Much like Harry in his current condition, Lizzie is sweet and innocent. However, much like Harry when he’s back to his normal self, Lizzie is not one to just gloss over. She has won titles, proving she belongs in this business. She’s been underestimated even now and that’s something I can relate to. I expect her to go at me right from the get go because she’ll want to prove herself yet again. If I’m not ready for that, then I’ve already lost.
Suddenly, I heard grunting coming from Harry. I didn’t want to be around when he was awake because knowing Harry, he’d try to get out of the cast and pretend like nothing happened. Harry was a proud man. He didn’t like it when people felt sorry for him. Before he could open his eyes, I bolted out of the room as quietly as I could.
Just a few steps to my right was J13, Michelle’s room. I looked at the upper portion of the door that held Michelle’s chart. Obviously, no one but the doctor should be looking at it, but curiosity got the best of me. I looked around several times before taking hold of Michelle’s medical chart. The first page had her general info. I scanned the papers quickly, probably missing a ton of important info.
“Wait, January 1st is Michelle’s birthday?!” I said audibly, but in a hushed tone.
I felt so bad that I didn’t know. I’m the worst tag team partner ever. All I had for her were flowers. Not even a cake. It’s not a birthday without a cake! I went back to flipping through the pages of her chart. It was full of language that I didn’t understand. Sweat started to form on my forehead as I arrived on the last page. The x-rays show Michelle has a minor fracture in her left rib and a sprained right ankle. Ouch. Suddenly, I heard movement inside Michelle’s room. I put her chart back and listened intently. Yeah, I definitely hear something going on inside.
I barged in - and there she was. Michelle was doing jumping jacks, raising only her right hand, probably unable to raise her left arm too much due to the rib fracture. She noticed the light coming into the room and turned around. She looked well-rested, about as good as you can be after what happened to her. She was dressed in a hospital gown with her right ankle taped up.
“Flowers for me?” she said nonchalantly. “You shouldn’t have,”
She continued doing jumping jacks as if she didn’t just fall 20 feet onto a table just a week ago.
“I don’t think you should be doing that, Michelle,” I said, taking a seat.
“There’s a lot of things I shouldn’t be doing, Gerald,” she said, continuing her exercise.
“I really don’t think you should be doing jumping jacks right now, Michelle,” I repeated, looking at her sternly.
“I’m fine, Gerald, you worry too much,” she said, continuing to do jumping jacks.
“You don’t worry enough!” I retorted argumentatively. She stopped her exercise and took a seat on a nearby chair.
I laid down the bouquet of white tulips I brought on the side table next to where she was sitting. She picked them up and took in the aroma a few times.
“What’s the occasion?” she asked, putting the flowers back on the table.
“Well, apparently it's your birthday. Happy birthday!” I exclaimed in a celebratory manner. Michelle’s eyes widened as she stared at me as if I let out a big secret.
“How did you know?” she questioned, irritation prevalent in her tone.
“Well, your chart says -”
“You read my chart?” she interrupted. I could hear the anger building in her voice.
“Yeah, well,” I said, holding the back of my neck, shrugging at what to say next.
She massaged her temple for a few seconds before letting out a sigh.
“As long as the other Nephews don’t know,” she said, looking at me for confirmation that this was true.
I shook my head to let her know they didn't. She let out another sigh - this time of relief because she knew if the rest of the Nephews knew it was her birthday, they’d set up some type of party or some type of shenanigans and Michelle could not be bothered with that, especially now.
“So how are you? Like really?” I asked, looking her straight in the eyes.
“How do you think I feel falling 30 feet onto a table?”
“Not good I'd imagine,” I shrugged.
“You’ve answered your own question, Gerald. Congratulations,” she clapped sarcastically.
“So you do bleed huh?” I chuckled, which surprisingly garnered a chuckle from Michelle as well.
“You would too if a giant lumberjack kicks you in the face causing you to fall from the height I did,” Michelle said, shaking her head.
I winced in response.
“Since you’re all about this whole birthday nonsense. There is a gift you can give me, Gerald,” she paused, looking at me with a serious look.
“What’s that?” I asked, leaning on the front of her hospital bed.
“Beat Lizzie Rose,” she said in a serious tone.
“Wait, how’d you know she was my next opponent?” I asked, looking at her sideways.
“I just know,” she said, not wanting to reveal her secrets.
“I always do my best when I go out there, Michelle. You know this,” I responded a little too defensively.
“I do know this. I’m reminding you because I know you can lose focus and when that happens, you convince yourself that you’re not good at this,” she said, looking at me straight in the eyes, knowing this is a bad habit of mine.
“Lizzie’s going to be a tough opponent. She’s held titles and has proven herself on many occassions. When she first came in, she was underestimated by literally everybody. That had to have pissed her off,”
“Blah blah blah. I don’t care about all that. All I’m hearing from you are excuses,” Michelle said, waving me off from speaking further.
“What do you mean?”
“I need you to engrave this in your brain, Gerald. You’re good at this wrestling thing. You’ve proven yourself more times than Lizzie. You’ve won titles. You’re a current title holder. You’re faster. You’re more aggressive. You know when to switch it up. Give yourself some fucking credit,” Michelle said angrily. She winced, grabbing her left rib as they began to hurt after the scolding she gave me.
She was right. No matter whether a match ended with a win or a loss, I always thought to myself to be the loser of the next one. It helps to humble myself, but sometimes, it does more harm than good.
“But -”
“No buts, Gerald. We’re tag team champions for a reason. Because we’re that damn good,” she paused. “We’re so damn good that they needed to throw multiple teams at us in a Mile High Massacre match - and we still won!”
I looked at her and nodded, acknowledging the feat we accomplished.
“I took the fall of a lifetime and now I’m in the hospital trying to recover as fast as I can. Then you come in here with your excuses? Give me a break, Gerald. Stop feeling fucking sorry for yourself and believe in yourself and your abilities for once,”
“You’re right,” was all I could offer in response.
“You’re damn right, I’m right. You’re damn good, Gerald, exceptional actually. I wish you could see what I see. What the entire FWA universe sees,” she paused once more, grimacing from the rib injury. “This tag team wouldn’t work without you - and that’s the honest truth,”
Silence fell upon us. Honestly, it felt good hearing this from Michelle as she’s not one to talk about our team too much. But now that she’s stepped up to tell me all this, I needed to step up and take it all in. When I looked at her, she was already looking at me for a response. I nodded my head as we shared a fist bump. It was a subtle acknowledgement but that’s all we needed to understand one another.
“Now go get me a birthday cake, it’s my birthday after all!” she said in a playful tone. I stood up from my seat and headed for the door. Before I made my exit, I looked back at Michelle as we shared a nod once again.
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:14:11 GMT
Originally posted by OMB. “K Then w/Kayden Knox”
[ATTACH type="full"]34784[/ATTACH]
Special Guest:
LaVar Burton
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[MEDIA=youtube]cIjdIxgDilg[/MEDIA]
A crowd is seen and heard counting down as a live red neon light is shown blinking on and off. The camera pans to a TV which then starts up an opening sequence where we see Kayden Knox smiling and doing different poses as the letters spell out K Then red and white lights flash with Kayden Knox standing at the end of it in a two-piece black suit. There is a voice-over speaking as well.
???: On tonight’s K Then with Kayden Knox we have Kayden talking about the FWA F-1 Climax, We also have LeVar Burton and a special musical guest. Now everyone please give a warm welcome to your host Kayden Knox!
The voiceover ends and out walks Kayden Knox through the curtain to the live studio audience. The band is playing to his left and we also see a charming lounge talk show set. The couch is a black leather one and then there is a redwood table where Kayden Knox's name tag is seen. He gives a half smile before going on to speak.
Kayden Knox: Thank you, and welcome to the show. Wow, do we have a crazy lineup tonight. We got an old friend to the show LeVar Burton. Then of course we have to talk about this week's insane news about FWA’s F-1 Climax. I know that you guys have some things on your mind. You probably have alot of questions. I wonder what you want to talk about first?
There is a cue card behind the camera that tells the audience to laugh. The crowd does as Kayden goes on with his monologue. There behind the curtain, you can see another man looking on. He’s older with a grey suit on and a cigar in his mouth. He lights it up as he watches on. You can see Kayden look behind him their eyes meeting for a moment before he continues on.
Kayden Knox: I know what you guys want to talk about, it’s the very same thing I want to talk about; I want to explain.
Kayden stops mid-sentence as the man behind the curtains reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper. He mouths something to Kayden.
Kayden Knox: You guys want to talk about how I feel about being included in the FWA’s F-1 Climax? Am I right? I mean we all know it’s an honor to be included in this match. We all know that my mind is completely focused on this match. The whole world's eyes are set on this tournament. Vampyra my opponent; she’s been on quite the roll as of late. I mean even if the outcomes don’t go her way. I get what this means to her. I honestly do. It wasn’t that long ago; I was in that position. The up-and-coming hot superstar. She is miles above where I was even at that point. She has made quite the impression, she walked in her very first match and earned herself the opportunity to challenge for a championship in her very first match. She won the title soon after. She came out of the gates running like a prize horse taking the lead above the rest of the pack. There’s something to be said about the rise. You know there aren’t many people that can do that. I tried, but I failed. There’s a problem, one of which no one seems to want to talk about. When you start out that hot when you start out at that level there comes a point when all those eyes are on you and you just don’t live up to that hype. I have been there; I was there and I watched all of it get taken from me. I think there is a part of me that feels like I should give her some advice. I want to tell her to slow down, to watch her surroundings to keep an eye on her who her friends truly are. You never know when a tick is going to suck you dry.
Kayden’s last words seem to have some zest to them. The man behind the curtain has an arrogant chuckle as he turns away and walks off. Kayden gives the camera a smile before he goes on again.
Kayden Knox: That is enough of that for now, let's have some fun tonight. I am excited about the show tonight, my dear old friend LeVar Burton is here and we are going to be discussing his new TV show Geordi Goes Global. We will talk to him after our commercial break so stay tuned.
The live camera light goes off as we go to break. Kayden takes a drink of water as a stagehand approaches him. The stagehand whispers in Kayden’s ear.
Stage Hand: Mr. Knox, Mr. Lester says that you know to stay to the script. He states that any sort of recourse; if you should decide to be cute will not end well for you.
Kayden Knox: That son of a….
Kayden’s eyes then look up past the audience in the producer's suite where you can see the man with the cigar waving at Kayden. He pulls out that piece of paper and nods to him. Kayden shakes his head in agreement before the stagehand speaks up.
Stage Hand: Mr. Lester wants you to be aware of the dire straits that you are in. He also asks that you give him a smile and wave if you understand.
Kayden bitting his tongue gives a cheerful smile and waves back up to the suite. The cameraman is starting to signal that they are about to return from break as Kayden walks over to his desk and sits down. The bright lights flash on him as there is some makeup crew doing their thing. Kayden starts to feel a bit lightheaded and his chest starts to feel heavy. He doesn’t show this broken composure. The whole room slows down and Kayden glances over the set. His eyes are like daggers staring back up at the producer's suite as two more people enter in. Kayden can now see the faces but, can see Lester has pulled a piece of paper from the inside of his jacket and handed it over.
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The light goes back on and we are brought back live to K Then. Kayden turns his attention back to the camera and begins to speak.
Kayden Knox: This man and I met, back about a year and a half ago when I was a guest on his old show Reading Rainbow. You may also know him from Star Trek please welcome LeVar Burton.
The band starts to play as Kayden stands up to welcome his guest to the show. LeVar Burton is smiling as he shakes Kayden's hand. LeVar takes a sit and the two of them start the interview.
Kayden Knox: Hey LeVar welcome to the show. How have you been? You look great!
LeVar smiles out politely as ever and he leans over to Kayden putting his hand on his shoulder.
LeVar Burton: Kayden I am doing great and I am so happy to be here. I know that we are supposed to be talking about my new show Geordi Goes Global but, I think everyone here wants to talk about you Kayden. I think all these people need to hear from you Kayden.
Kayden chuckles as his eyes glare up at the suite. He turns his attention back to LeVar.
Kayden Knox: Oh please come on, this maybe my show, but the people want to hear from you LeVar besides you know my producers would ruin me if we don’t.
Kayden notices the cue card for the audience to laugh is shown and the crowd obliges. LeVar has a split-second look at Kayden before going on.
LeVar Burton: Kayden I just meant, I want to hear more about your thoughts on Vampyra. I keep up with FWA TV big fan I love that wacky stuff Uncle does and man do I hate that Shawn Summers guy. I think Vamprya is a good champion, a fighting one. I agree with what you said earlier. Vampyra in the F1 Climax may be 0-3 but, she has fought and gone toe to toe with the very best the roster has to give. I mean she took MVH to her limit, a former FWA World Champion. Vamprya skills in that ring rival anyone right now. I think what these people and myself want to know Kayden is how do you think you will do?
Kayden scans back up to the suite and sees Lester give a nod.
Kayden Knox: Well, I feel like I am going into this match as the underdog, as the true wild card. I know my chances are slim to none, but I have a chance to qualify. I have a chance to achieve something and that is one thing I haven’t been able to say in a few months.
LaVar Burton: Kayden…
Kayden stands up and lets out a big belly laugh.
Kayden Knox: Vampyra talk can wait, I have something special planned for you tonight. We are going to play a game!
The crowd cheer as LeVar looks on confused. The set has a few stagehands coming in and out moving things around and then they set up a Blackjack table in front with two chairs and one behind for the dealer. Kayden takes a sit on the right side and LeVar takes his seat to the left. The two of them await the dealer as we are told that after the break they will play.
The live light goes off and again and you can see LeVar has leaned over into Kayden’s ear the two whispering with one another.
LeVar Burton: Kayden, you know exactly what these people want to talk about? They want to know why you turned on Gabrielle! What you did to her! The FWA Universe and Gabrielle deserve an answer. I don’t exactly know what kind of games you are playing but, you are a completely different person than the last time we met.
Kayden turns to him with a sour look on his face. Their backs are turned away from the crowd at the moment. The stagehands are also working on the cameras.
Kayden Knox: …
Kayden was about to speak when another man approaches it was the man from the suite. He is holding a glass bottle of liquor in his hand.
???: And what would the two of you be discussing?
The arrogant smile sends a chill down Kayden’s spine as he offers his hand out to be shaken by LaVar.
???: Mr. Burton it’s a pleasure to meet you. I see that dear Mr. Knox's manners have gone the wayside. My name is Maxwell Lester.
LeVar shakes his hand and Lester's grip seems too tight.
Maxwell Lester: Kayden the show isn’t running as smoothly as we had discussed remember our discussions.
Kayden Knox: I understand.
Maxwell Lester: Good, I am glad you and I we are on the same page.
Kayden Knox: So what are you doing down here again?
Maxwell Lester lets go of LeVar’s hand and smile once more.
Maxwell Lester: You didn’t know? I am the dealer!
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The red light starts to blink again as the camera pans back to Kayden’s face. Maxwell Lester sits at the front of the table with a dealer’s jacket now on him. He grabs the deck of cards and starts to shuffle them as Kayden and LaVar sit. There underneath the table, are more cue-cards and Kayden reads them off.
Kayden Knox: Welcome back to the show guys, now as many of you may know I am a man that likes to take chances. I took many shots in my life some I have won and many to be frank I have lost. The gambler in me needs to scratch that itch. The game of Blackjack is to try and get twenty-one or have the highest number without going over. Now I like to introduce you to another dear friend of mine Mr. Maxwell Lester.
Maxwell Lester: Kayden, what a wonderful introduction, and thank you for the invite. I am so happy to be here. Now you may not know me; I have been around here long enough to know each and every member of the FWA Roster.
There is another sister staring into the camera by Maxwell Lester and he quickly changes the subject. He starts to deal the cards out as He slides the Ten of Diamonds over to LeVar. The other facing down with another slide across, hands Kayden two cards Kayden gets a Four of Clubs. Kayden looks down at his card and sees Three of Hearts. Maxwell deals than to himself getting the Ace of Diamonds. Maxwell laughs softly to himself and looks over to LaVar.
Maxwell Lester: Mr. Burton would you like to hit, or would you like to stay?
LaVar looks over towards Kayden and then back to Lester.
LaVar Burton: Mr. Lester I think I will hit.
He deals him a card and the six of hearts hits his fingertips. Maxwell tries to read LeVar.
LeVar Burton: I think that is enough for me. I will stay.
Maxwell Lester nods and his gaze turns to Kayden.
Maxwell Lester: Mr. Knox how do you think you will play this hand?
Kayden stares back down at his cards and tries to say something. Maxwell Lester interferes in this and goes to speak.
Maxwell Lester: You know life is like a deck of playing cards. Jack London once said that. I always found that quote really interesting. "Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well." I find it interesting because I think it is a load of crap. I say that with all due respect to Mr. London. He was wrong because those who play a poor hand well when are in for shellshock.
LeVar Burton: What do you mean Mr. Lester?
Maxwell Lester: Well those who play a poor hand well, every once in a while will win a hand. When they do they start to think that maybe lady luck has turned. She hasn't she's a fickle one. She gets you to lose your guard and that is when mistakes happen. That's when you lose everything, and then your hand is worst off than it was before.
Maxwell looks over towards Kayden and awaits his decision.
Maxwell Lester: Kayden how do you feel about that? You were someone that at one point had a pretty good hand? You were living the good life and got a taste of what it was like on the other side. Then one by one every hand started to bust. You were left dealt the worst hand time after time.
Kayden goes to speak.
Maxwell Lester: It doesn't matter what you think. No one else in that matter because each one of us holds the same hand. It's just that some of us are better at bluffing than others.
Kayden Knox: Hit me.
Kayden barks out and a playful gasp comes from Maxwell Lester. The card that Kayden gets is a nine of spades. He looks back down at his cards.
Kayden Knox: Hit me.
Maxwell Lester nods and Kayden is dealt two of spades. The crowd looks on as Maxwell Lester again asks Kayden another question.
Maxwell Lester: Before we go on here, I think I have a question for you Mr. Knox. You talked earlier about Miss Vampyra, and how she has hit the ground running since she joined the FWA. You see I agree with you that you are the underdog here.
Kayden Knox:...
The tone seems a little less playful than Lester wanted. He gives Kayden the card and Kayden gets a King of Hearts busting his hand. The band plays a tone and Kayden holds his head down in shame. Kayden sees Lester's hand and he just holds an Ace and Three of Diamonds. The show then has a band come out and start to play as LeVar, Kayden, and Maxwell go behind the curtain.
Maxwell Lester: You know what Kayden? You and I are going for a walk. Mr. Burton whatever time is left on the show you can go out and promote your new show.
Buzz... Buzz... The sound of Maxwell Lester's phone going off is heard. The text simply reads a notification coming from Jon Russnow.
Kayden Knox Will Appear On Meltdown!
To Be Continued... |
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:14:28 GMT
Originally posted by Gip. [ATTACH type="full"]34790[/ATTACH]
Overall Match Time: |
0 days 3 hours 48 minutes 3 seconds
= 0.158368 days
= 3.80083 hours
= 228.05 minutes
= 13,683 seconds
(+50 Minutes, 41 Seconds from Last Year)
| Matches: |
18
(+2 from Last Year)
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Companies:
| 1 | Wins: |
8
(+1 from Last Year)
|
Losses:
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11
(+1 from Last Year)
|
Title Match Wins
| 1/4
|
Pinfall Wins:
| 8 |
Submission Wins:
| 0 |
Tag Team Wins:
| 4/10 |
Multi Man Match Wins
| 0/5 |
Stipulation Match Wins
| 1/1 |
Battle Royal Wins:
| 0/2 |
Tournament Wins:
| 0/2
|
Pinfall Losses:
| 8 |
Submission Losses:
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1
|
DQ Wins/Losses:
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0/0
|
Countout Wins/Losses:
| 0/0 |
Longest Match:
| Back In Business - Deathmatch - Reagan Cole Vs Jeffry Mason- 24:15 |
Shortest Match:
| Fallout 19 - Tag Team Match - Spirit Walkers Vs Johnny Johnson & Lizzie Rose - 8:46 |
First Match Of The Year:
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Meltdown X, January 24th 2022 - Tag Warz Triple Threat Tag Team Match - Damian Lynch & Noah Stocke defeat Tommy Bedlam & James Douglas, Reagan Cole & Jason Randall.
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Last Match Of The Year:
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Fallout 24, December 24th 2022 - XYZ defeats Reagan Cole
|
Most Frequent Opponents:
|
[*]Kayden Knox (3)
[*]Cyrus Truth (3)
[*]Devin Golden (2)
|
Most Frequent Tag Partners:
| 1. Aka Yurei (6)
2. Jason Randall (3) |
[HEADING=3] Look at that chart. It’s so fun. This is the second time that I’ve done this chart. Last time was funnily enough in the build to the first Secular Spectacular and Reagan got a briefcase that set off this entire rollercoaster of a year so maybe doing it twice does it again with a few less downs and a lot more ups! I wanna see the rollercoaster fly! And what’s even more funny is back then, Reagan was pretty sad. He was dressed in a Rudolph outfit and still managed to be sad, now that takes effort. Back then Reagan was like “Awh, man. I failed to beat McClain and I failed to do this and that.” and all mopey baloney. And now? God, Reagan would give everything up to go back there. [/HEADING] [HEADING=3]
Fucking hell, like…we should focus on the positives first right? That makes sense. Reagan won a freaking title this year! There were some doubts but Reagan did it! And he kept a promise to Aka that those two would win the Tag Team Championships and that’s what they did. Positives. Yeah did we lose it in our first defense? Yup. Did Aka then get injured by Reagan’s former tag partner and best friend? Yea. But we still won! This is a nice and chill thing we’re doing and we’re sticking to it.
[/HEADING] [HEADING=3]
So how about this? Get a drink, hydrate yourself. It’s a new year. The want to keep your New Year’s resolution alive or the want to make this year YOUR year. It’s a stressful time. So have some deep breaths, enjoy yourself because if you’ve made it this far in the…thread or video or whatever word I can say to make this still hang onto kayfabe, then you deserve it. You deserve all the love.
[/HEADING] [HEADING=3]
But while you’re here… I am nominated for a couple of FWA awards. Best Tag Team, obviously. Most improved, genuinely wasn’t expecting that one and I was quite touched by it. Best Match? I was technically in the Carnal Contendership that was nominated, I think that counts. Best Feud, I did have a part to play in that feud. Stopped EE from winning all their title matches on the night, big achievement! Positives! Best show, can’t forget, 3 nominations in one category for me, it’s an honour. And best non….authority figure. I’m still keeping kayfabe. But still a lot of nominations aimed at me, i would appreciate some votes this time around because last time i only got one vote. And that was for rookie of the year. ONE VOTE, I CANT DO THAT AGAIN, PLEASE. GOD DAMMIT.
[/HEADING] [HEADING=3]
Anyway positivity. Because this show deserves it, Devin Goldens retiring! It has legit been an honor for Reagan to be on both sides of Golden's ring because it is his ring at the end of the day. Reagan has both teamed with this man and fought him. And not many people can say that so that’s what Reagan is proud of. Goldens insane but he’s also God damn great and could be in the conversation for GOAT. Reagan ain’t watching the match though. The guy got nightmares off competing in a normal deathmatch, this is…considerably worse.
[/HEADING] [HEADING=3]
Should really get on topic at one point or maybe not. Nah, this is about relaxation. Go be your best self. Hell yeah. Don’t let anyone judge you for anything either, that happens in a lot in this wrestling fandom, just know everyone gets judged for something, whether it’s big or small. Anyway. Reagan’s gonna beat MDC, That’s what he’s gonna do and maybe after this, his year might get better. It most likely won’t, he really fucked up aligning himself with Jeffry Mason, like Reagan, buddy. I remember when Reagan was supposed to be super smart and that was gonna be his entire thing and now look at him. But just because he’s in a bad way right now mentally, does not mean you need to be. Go see a therapist. Also most likely Reagan and Jason conversation next show if I get booked! Look forward to that. I just was in a positive mood and wanted to give it out in this unique opportunity. Love y’all! Also if this doesn’t count as a promo because Reagan didn’t do anything then….erm.
[/HEADING] [HEADING=3] [/HEADING] [HEADING=3] Reagan: “Fuck The Nephews.” [/HEADING] [HEADING=3] [/HEADING] [HEADING=3] That’ll do, Reagan. That’ll do. [/HEADING] |
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:14:49 GMT
Originally posted by Sully. A Good Witchmas To Die Hard
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"A Christmas Party? Christmas was like...two weeks ago" Kleio De Santos, The Witch Queen, says from the backseat of the car. Blair and Celestia both chuckle at her.
"Kleio, Christmas may be over for you, but Blair and I celebrate Orthodox Christmas Day. Our ancestors are from Central Europe, and over there they celebrate Christmas on January 7th. So of course we're going to a party to celebrate!" says Celestia.
Blair then chirps in "We may be witches, but we like to celebrate Christmas as long as possible. Two Christmas celebrations always meant twice the gifts! Besides, Halloween is like our real Christmas!". Celestia glares at Blair for interrupting her but Blair doesn't even seem to notice. There's been some uncalled upon attention between the two sisters, ever since Celestia found out Blair had lied to her about where Kleio had been all this time.
Why didn't Blair trust her?
Celestia looks up to see a huge tower in front of her. The location of their January 7th Christmas Party. They pull into the building's parking garage, which is at the bottom of the giant skyscraper. Celestia notices a sign right before they go inside. "Hmm, Nakatomi Tower. I feel like I've heard that somewhere before" she tells the other two. She can't quite place why it sounds familiar though.
Celestia, noticing her chips are feeling a little chapped, opens the car's glove box to search for her chapstick. When she opens it however, Blair's infamous spellbook falls out of it. Celestia looks angered at the sight of it as she quickly turns at Blair with daggers in her eyes. "Blair! I thought we agreed. No magic on Christmas!" she says to her sister.
Blair and Celestia always had this tradition. It was the one time of year that they did not dabble in any of the fine arts...or well, their fine arts. It was a rule ever since their mom had passed away around the holiday. And yet, Blair had decided to bring the spellbook with her anyway.
"Not using magic is what lost us the Mile High Massacre match, Celestia. It's time to grow up, we're going to need it if we're going to beat Fenix and the Jolly Dumb Giant." Blair says to her sister. But for once, Celestia is not backing down.
"Blair, it's a rule. You know it is...no magic at Christmas" she says to her sister as they're parking the car. Blair realizes that Celestia isn't going to budge on this one. "Fine" she says. "You win, no magic". Celestia smiles at her sister as she puts the book back in the glove box and shuts it tight. Kleio feels a bit awkward in the back seat, but it's nothing she hasn't been used to. There has been a lot of tension between the two sisters lately, and it's only getting worse. But it is the holidays, so hopefully the two can at least enjoy the night.
The three witches get out of the car and walk to the parking garage elevator. They need to take it to get to the lobby, as it's the only accessible way into this secure and fancy tower. Celestia pushes the up button as it lights up. This particular elevator only goes between the lobby and the parking garage. There is a second elevator that you need to take to get into the tower floors. As the elevator begins to come down, a "Shit" can be heard from behind Celestia and Kleio. Both of them turn around to see Blair patting her pockets. "I forgot my phone in the car" Blair says. "I'll run and grab it real quick, don't let the elevator leave without me".
Blair runs off as both Celestia and Kleio roll their eyes.
"She'd forget her Voodoo Doll's head if it wasn't sewn onto it's body" Celestia says to Kleio. Kleio chuckles, knowing its true. Celestia uses this opportunity alone with Kleio to vent to her Witch Queen. "You agree with me right? We shouldn't be focused on the match tonight. It's Christmas. We should celebrate" Celestia says to Kleio. Kleio really didn't want to get into the middle of the sisterly bickering. She rubs the back of her neck. "Yeahhhh....I don't know. I see both sides" she says to Celestia, her ass sore from the fence she's sitting on. Blair can be heard running as she appears from behind a parked car just as the elevator arrives.
"Got it!" she says as she waves her phone in the air at them both. Celestia rolls her eyes again as the three go up into the lobby. After making their way into the lobby and checking in, the three witches found themselves seated in the huge ballroom for Christmas. It wasn't exactly Celestia's scene. It was rich and fancy, and she was starting to regret even going in the first place. Blair had a point, that it was important to focus on their match. But if that was the case, why did she drag us to this party in the first place she thought to herself.
Kleio, Blair, and Celestia all sat at a table alone. Dinner was awkward and quiet, and as soon as it was over, Blair excused herself to the bathroom. She took her purse with her, likely to powder her nose. Celestia used the moment alone to once again vent to Kleio. "I just don't know why she couldn't tell me where you were. Why you couldn't tell me where you were..." Celestia says to Kleio. Kleio looks on sympathetically at Celestia. She tries to justify herself "It's just...it's complicted Celestia. I don't think Blair meant any harm by it. I know I didn't. It was just easier to keep things quiet as I figured them out". It still wasn't a clear answer from Kleio. Both her and Blair still keep her in the dark. She might be the youngest, but she wasn't stupid.
It was then that Celestia noticed some sage at Blair's seat. Alarmed, she got up and stormed into the bathroom.
"Blair! You brought that damn spellbook in here didn't you?" she said to her sister. Her sister of course was looking in the mirror at the time, a mirror that had blood smeared on it.
"Celestia, not now" Blair says to her.
"Yes now. You promised me, no magic!" she said.
"I don't think I actually promised" Blair responds to her.
Celestia feels betrayed by her sister yet again. "You know Blair, if you can't even do this, I don't know why we even bother sometimes. Go ahead...do your magic, do whatever you want like you always do".
"Thanks for the permission sister" Blair says, as she picks up the book from the bathroom sink and walks back into the ballroom, leaving Celestia in anger.
Celestia stares at her ghostly reflection in the mirror. She's angry...she's angry at Blair, she's angry at Kleio, and she's angry at herself for trusting them both. And she's angry at herself because she knows she's going to forgive the both of them too. What else can she do? Suddenly, before she can have another negative thought, gunshots can be heard from the ballroom. Celestia falls backward in shock as screams can be heard. Her first thought is "What did Blair do now". But when she peers out of the bathroom door she sees several masked assailants.
Suddenly, one of the assailants spots her and walks to the bathroom.
Celestia quickly jumps back.
She looks around for an escape, and sees an air vent! She climbs up into it at the last second. This is her only chance. She climbs into the air duct, but her foot is pulled at the last second by one of the men. She falls onto the bathroom floor as the man tries to subdue her. He grabs her from behind, as none of his partners realize what is going on. But Celestia is able to get a good elbow in on him, and then hits him with a spinning leg kick to the face!
She rips off the man's mask and is shocked to see who it is...Jackson Fenix!
What the hell is Jackson Fenix doi- Wait a second.
Suddenly it all clicked.
This was Blair's doing. That wasn't Jackson Fenix...she didn't know what Blair had planned, but it definitely backfired as Celestia peers out to see a panicked Blair tied up as a hostage along with Kleio. Celestia rips off the unconscious Fenix double's shirt, and writes something on his chest before crawling into the vent. Just missing two more men who came rushing in to see the commotion. One of the men rips off his mask at the site of Fenix laying on the floor and reads what Fenix's chest says.
"Now I have a machine gun...ho ho ho?" The spell version of Savage reads in anger.
Celestia needs to get Blair's spellbook to fix this. But it's in the middle of the ballroom. Why should see fix this? Blair did it. Blair messed it all up. And here is Celestia, cleaning up her mess yet again.
As Celestia hops out of the vent, she sees two very large masked men. And they have Blair's book!
"Hey you idiots!" she yells at them.
"Huh?" they say dopily, before getting their heads comedically knocked together by Celestia. "That's about all you two giant wood-loving twins are worth," she says.
She grabs Blair's blook. And sees it's bookmarked to a certain page.
As she opens it up, she knows exactly what she needs to do to fix it. She looks at the book in anger...Blair didn't have to do this. Blair isn't even fighting in this match. It's all on Celestia. It's always be on Celestia. Yet Blair had to meddle...Blair had to try and go over the top. And she caused this.
Jackson Fenix is someone that Celestia can take. It's someone she has taken before. And those two lumberjack twins are a couple of jobbers that her and Blair had whooped way back on Ground Zero.
Celestia realizes...she has a decision.
She can fix this right here, and be the hero. But will Blair learn?
Or...or maybe she could leave Blair and Kleio to their own doings. It'll buy Celestia some time to actually prepare for the match the real way.
Decisions decisions.
Celestia closes the book with a smile. Blair would say it to her herself.
She's no John McCain.
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:15:16 GMT
Originally posted by rawr. Alyster Black’s Guide to the FWA It’s the first Saturday of the year, only seven days before the most monumental match in Alyster Black’s career is set to take place. A match that is so overly personal, where the stipulations are so vastly complicated than even he is not fully aware of what the rules and implications of the match, which he had blindly agreed to in a fit of pure hubris, are. “Winter Wasteland” as Devin Golden has so colourfully put it, was, in theory, the culminating match of the Rotten Gold’s career. Taking stipulations of all his most historically important matches and throwing them together in a hodgepodge of complicated match design, confusion and barbarity. Alyster Black, as violent and barbaric as he was often portrayed, was a fan of keeping things simple. Throwing hands with a person you hated under minimal stipulations was more than enough for him. Throwing in a cage was fine, a second was beginning to feel like overkill, but three cages was a step too far from the usual blood soaked stipulation driven gladiatorial battles he was accustomed too. On a day that future historians will refer to as the past Alyster Black awoke to a startling situation that would change the very nature of his existence. Standing in his kitchen with a fresh cup of tea, he peeled open the blinds and found an immaculately beautiful sunny day greeting him. It was still early in the morning. Alyster was still wearing what he’d worn to bed, a ratty t-shirt and track pants, under a bathrobe with a pair of bunny slippers that were brought for him as an ironic gift that he’d ironically fallen in love with and wore as frequently as he could. The cup of Earl Grey was far too hot to drink so Alyster set it down on the kitchen countertop and continued to stare out at the beautiful morning sky, letting his mind wander, his expression turning blank from the lack of conscious thought. A knock on the door snapped Alyster’s attention. It was early in the morning and he was not expecting company. With his blissful solitude being interrupted, Alyster immediately decided that today, as beautiful a day as it was, had been ruined and that the rest of it would be horrible and that nothing would be able to convince him otherwise. He was right of course, the proceeding events would prove so. But he had no way of knowing what events would transpire at the time of him figuring out that today would be a horrible day so this feeling could safely be disregarded as a premonition and treated as nothing more than the sour-outlook on life of a curmudgeon. If Alyster knew who was knocking at his door this early in the morning then perhaps his entire outlook would be more positive. Then again, any unannounced disturbance of his peace was considered a war crime in his mind. When he finally answered the door, ready to get into a physical confrontation with whomever was on the other side, his mood quickly shifted from furious to alleviation. On the other side of the door was a friend, a relatively new friend but a friend nonetheless. Followers of the Alyster Black heartbreak saga would recognise this friend as his helpful guide on the road to reclaiming his heart and soul. Those who have not followed the heartbreak saga would be left in confusion. In the context of this story however Alyster did not recognise the fiery faced creature as his spirit guide but as a friend he’d met in recent years named Nero Seele. Nero was otherworldly in appearance, their body appeared to be covered in flames but they did not illuminate their surrounding area nor were they hot to the touch. Their face lacked any features but just by looking at them you could determine their exact mood as if they were making a face at you. Nero was also wearing clothes, dressing in masculine clothes to fit their Alan Rickman sounding voice. In spite of all of this anyone who interacted with Nero treated it as if they were just another person, that there was nothing fantastical about them. Walking the streets Nero garnered no attention, passer-bys didn’t stare or make comments. Nero was completely inconspicuous. Alyster Black was also blissfully unaware of Nero’s origins and special nature. Being introduced to them at a party in Southern California and immediately hitting it off, paying no attention to Nero’s fantastical features or otherworldly insights into life, the universe, and everything. It seemed that at every junction of his life since meeting Nero was able to offer valuable advice that would serve Alyster well. The fact that he was a double champion was a testament to that. “Alyster, sorry to disturb you on this beautiful morning but I have something rather important I need to tell you. Can I come in?” Nero’s voice seemed to echo with each word it spoke, but not phonically, its words echoed through Alyster’s mind, as if they originated inside there rather than in the world. “Of course you can mate, mi casa es su casa.” As much as a hermit as Alyster tried to be, his home was indeed open to those he considered friends. Nero pushed past Alyster and immediately went to the kitchen. Opening the fridge and taking out a six pack of beer. Alyster casually closed the front door and followed. Nero was in the middle of opening each beer as Alyster casually sauntered into the kitchen. “It’s a little early for that, isn't it mate?” Alyster joked with a bright chuckle, he was no stranger to daytime drinking. The irony of the joke was not lost on Nero who casually handed three of the beers to Alyster. “Drink, you’re going to need it.”Alyster picked up his tea, waving the cup to bring it to Nero’s attention, “No thanks mate, I’m good.”“Seriously Alyster, what I have to tell you is so mind boggling important, it’s Earth shattering man, you’re going to need a few drinks just to fathom it, and I’m going to need a few just to share it with you.”Nero wasn’t lying, what they had to tell Alyster was so tremendously vital, it was news that would shatter his entire world view and really put a further damper on his day. Unfortunately for Nero their timing was off as they were two minutes behind schedule. Whilst travelling to Alyster Black’s home Nero was delayed by a pair of children riding their bike who had crashed and injured themselves. Nero wasn’t delayed from stopping to help them, rather their delay came from how long they’d stopped to laugh at the children’s misfortune. Upon sharing this story with Alyster Black and stressing just how time sensitive what they had to share with him was, as well as how vitally important it was that they share this news with him now, all Alyster Black could do was say, “Fuck mate, I don’t blame you for being behind schedule. That’s about the funniest thing possible. Shit, I could watch kids fall off their bikes all day. In fact I’m surprised we’re not watching kids stack right now.”In the time Nero wasted explaining his schedule and the vital importance of the news they had to share with Alyster, they could of course have just shared that information. Unfortunately now Alyster was searching for videos of children falling on his phone, fortunately this activity led to him finally downing the beers Nero had prepared for him. “Okay, now that you’ve had a few I can finally tell you what’s going on.”“Right, and just what is so important and vital that you absolutely need to share tell me and that I need to be three beers deep to hear?”“If you stop interrupting me I’ll tell you.”“Ah, sorry mate.”“What did I just say?” A brief pause permeated in the masked man’s kitchen before Nero cleared their throat and continued, “I’m not actually from Burbank as I originally told you when we first met.”“Oh, that’s not that big a deal. I mean there’s no shame in being from Reseda if that’s where you’re really from. The Karate Kid is set there.”“No, that’s not what I mean-”Nero is interrupted by Alyster, “And I don’t see how that’s such vitally important Earth-shattering information that I needed to be three beers deep to hear it.”“It will be when I reveal to you the nature of my origin. Have you ever noticed that I don’t look like most people?”Alyster squinted and leant forward, taking in the sight of Nero with more scrutiny. “Huh, I never really noticed it before but you’re sort of got a fiery thing going on. I guess that’s a little out of the ordinary but I’ve known you for a few years now and only just noticed so it can’t be that big a deal.”Nero sighed, they raised a finger, ready to explain everything once and for all when suddenly the kitchen became dark. “Ah crud, it’s already starting.”Alyster was left puzzled, it was bright and sunny just a moment ago and now it was uncomfortably shady. Upon investigation, by looking out the kitchen window, Alyster discovered a large looming shadow covering the landscape and the culprit was not a cloud as one would expect, but an unexplainable phenomenon. In the sky was a large golden brick like object that ignored the laws of gravity with such contempt that gravity simply threw its arms up and pretended to be busy working on its screenplay rather than deal with it. Black Dos Belts was left agasp at the sight of the impressively large object floating in the sky, and he was not alone. All over the world large golden brick like objects were blocking out the skies. They moved slowly, traversing the lower atmosphere for a short while. During the short while they stayed up there every grifter on the planet with the know-how to work a smart phone took to the internet to offer their two cents on the phenomenon and most of the population latched onto their favourite personality’s theory and treated it as gospel. Theories ranging from these objects being biblically accurate angels (they were not) that had come to enact the rapture, to theories that these giant golden brick like objects were a malfunction in a secret illuminati’s sky projection, all taken as basic fact without a single moment of hesitation. Not a single scientist was offered an opportunity to give a plausible explanation, not that anyone would have listened to them anyway nor did they have the time to investigate the phenomenon as not even thirty minutes after the golden brick like objects had arrived did a voice bellow out across the world, projected by the large golden brick like objects. “Ahhhhhhhhh… helloooooo woooorld…”Alyster’s knuckles turned white at the sound of the voice. “Is that Devin fucking Golden?”A nod from Nero confirmed Alyster’s theory, it was in fact Devin Golden speaking from inside the giant golden brick like object floating in the sky. Devin Golden, who Alyster hated more than anyone else in the world with the exception of Danny Toner and Shawn Summers. The man who had tried to carve out his heart and left him disfigured and scarred with the initials FWA on his chest. The man who at every turn of Alyster’s fighting career seemed to just be there and would not fuck off no matter how insistant Alyster was that he do so. A man who claimed responsibility for the loss of Alyster’s oldest and closest friend and partner Krash. Who was responsible for Alyster not gaining the World Championship at the Anniversary Show. The man who was so selfish and so up himself that he considered Golden Rock to be the greatest tag team in the FWA. A man who in the last year had gone off the deep end and become a stark raving mad lunatic, this is of course a consequence of Alyster Black’s actions. In fact almost everything that Devin or Alyster had accomplished over the last year could be in some way attributed to one another. This annoyed Alyster more than anything, more than the sound of children laughing, more than the sight of cute puppies and more than the prospect of losing a match against Michelle von Horrowitz. Yes, there were few people Alyster hated as much as he hated Devin Golden. And the sound of his voice had invariably ruined Alyster’s mood. “I’veeeeee comeeee tooooo end it allllllllll…” Devin’s voice had a sing-song quality to it that had become grating to the ear. “The world is cominnnnnnnnnnnng to annnnnnnnnnnnnn end…”The world was unhappy to receive this news and protested, rabbling rapidly and loudly. “It’ssssss to lateeeeee, there’sssss nothing you can doooo…This world is mineeeeeee and I can end it if I waaaaaaaant…”God that voice was grating, Alyster was in the mist of grinding his teeth to dust as Devin continued his spiel. “You seeeeee…I knowwwww…
I knowwww what this alllllllll is. And I can end it whenever I waaaaaant.”The vast majority of people rabble rousing at the golden gravity defying bricks in the sky came to a consensus in what they were screaming, questioning just what the booming voice was talking about. “I understand the natuuuuuuuure of realityyyyyyyy.”It has been theorised that if the true nature of reality was to ever be determined then reality as we know it would cease to be and be replaced by something more absurd. Many believe this has already happened. Another school of thought into the nature of reality is that it doesn’t truly exist. That all of existence is not in fact existence but rather a shared dream world conjured up by a group of coma patients in the same ward. The person to come up with this theory is of course Devin Golden and he has been the subject of ridicule and scorn from his peers since. His theories on reality have been hand-waved and regarded as nothing more than delusions brought on by late stage CTE. Naturally the severity of any possible concussion related syndrome has been brushed aside by those around him, mostly because almost all of Devin Golden’s co-workers hate him but also because they too are suffering from late stage CTE. “There’s no point arguing…it’s alreadyyyyy overrrr…ready the disruptors…”A loud click could be heard across the globe as the booming voice died out. Each golden brick like object in the sky began to glow as bright green beams of energy charging and shooting across conductors decorating the underside of the ships, all the energy gathering at a central point in the middle of the crafts. “So if I’m getting this right, Devin Golden has commandeered a fleet of alien starships and plans on destroying the entire world? That fucker is literally from another planet.” A thought occurred to Alyster who turned back to Nero, “Did you know this was about to happen?”“Yes.” Nero replied rather nonchalantly. “And you were saying something about the true nature of your origin being vitally important?”“Also correct.”“Am I to assume that it’s got something to do with those world destroying flying golden bricks in the sky?”“Well, sort of.”“Right, now I assume you have some solution for this situation we’ve been confronted with.”“Oh yes, and it very much has to do with the nature of reality. Which is what ties into the nature of my origin.”“Wonderful, so whenever you’re ready to get rolling on that solution I’m here to help. I’ve no idea how long we have left, Devin has always been one for theatrics so there’s no telling if that light show is just for show or if it’s legit.”“It’s partly for show, he could have charged those disruptors during the trip to Earth. He’s giving you time to get up there.”“He’s waiting for me?”Nero was taken aback by Alyster questioning that statement. “Well, yeah. Of course he’s waiting for you, who else is he going to take the world from?”“What do you mean by that? He’s waiting for me to go up there so that he can take the world from me? That’s utter lunacy, are you sure you’re not supposed to be up there in fucking-psycho-crazy-land with him?”“You are the champion of the world. And the only person left that he hates. Besides that new friend of yours, Peacock.”“So what, this is all a cry for attention so that he can confront me and try to take the world from me?”“Yes, it’s dreadfully serious you see. He’ll go through with destroying the world.”“I suppose I’d better get up there then.” Alyster reached into his robe pocket and pulled out his mask, fastening it over his face. He and Nero stared at each other for a few moments longer before Alyster broke the silence. “And how do I get up there?”“You get right under that charging beam and ask nicely.”Alyster was unsurprised by that answer. With a deep sigh he left the comfort of his kitchen and proceeded out of the house and down the street with Nero following close behind. “It a good thing that I’m three beers deep.” Alyster mused, “Otherwise I don’t think I’d be handling this as well as I am.”“And I still haven’t revealed the nature of the origin to you.”“We’ve got time now don’t we?”“Not really.” Nero pointed down a main street that ran adjacent to the path they and Alyster were travelling down. Approaching them was a parade of what could only be described as black clad zombies. “Is that a Black Zombie Parade?”“It appears to be so.”Neither man was shocked at what they were witnessing. Fortunately the zombies were Romero zombies and moved very slowly, double so since most of them were weighed down with marching band instruments and uniform. “I say we ignore them and get a move on, I’m quite fed up with Devin Golden and want to get this over with.”“Absolutely, it’s a shitty non-sequitur anyway.”Alyster was somehow even more annoyed than he was earlier. Proceeding in a sort of half jog in silence, eager to put an end to this entire situation and go back to drinking tea in the kitchen. Ridding himself of Devin Golden once and for all would be a rather favourable bonus. It wouldn’t take them that much longer before they arrived at their destination, right under the charging green lights of the ship, staring up above. “Right, now what?”“Stick out your thumb.”“Seriously?”“Yes seriously, it’s thematic. It’ll work.”Not in the mood to argue Alyster raised his thumb as if he was hitching a ride. Nothing happened, at least not immediately. After a scoff and just as he was lowering his arm a beam of light, though not the green light of the disruptor, shot down from the ship and engulfed both him and Nero. The sensation that followed could only be described as incredibly nauseating, like his very being was a glass of water being drunk by a very thirsty camel. It was the complete and total opposite of pleasant and something he wished to never have to repeat. Everything was a blur for Alyster. After the lights died out he found himself lying down somewhere inside the ship, that much he was sure of. It was dingy, dirty, and miserable. The walls very clearly were once golden and beautiful, but now had dulled and looked rotten. It was very apropos considering the identity of the ship’s captain. Alyster’s body ached, his head throbbed and his mouth was dry. He tried to sit up and was only able to do so after considerable exertion. Nero was fine, leaning against a doorway and keeping a lookout. A groan from Alyster caught Nero’s attention, who turned to him with what felt like a smirk on his non-expressive face. “Ah, you’re finally awake. Good, we can put an end to this obnoxious charade then.”“How long was I out?”“No idea, the transportation process isn’t one to one with the passage of time. It could range from a few minutes to a few hours.”“Is the world still there?”“Not sure, there isn’t exactly any windows on this crapheap of a ship. I wouldn't worry about it, just remember these two words, don’t panic.”“Fair enough…let’s go find out then.” Alyster tried to stand but struggled immensely, “Give me a hand.” He raised an arm for aid. Nero was more than happy to support him. Helping him to his feet and draping his arm over their shoulder. “Right, this is going to do wonders for the stealth operation.”“I thought Devin was inviting me to come kick his ass.”“Yes and no. He wants you to suffer and he wants to destroy your entire world, preferably with you in it. Why do you think the mothership is floating over San Dimas? What do you think that black parade was marching for? He’s making sure he finds you first.”“Great. By the way, why did transporting fuck me up so badly and leave you completely unscathed.”“Transporting takes a lot of energy, from the transporter and transported. You just need to get some food in you and you’ll be right. As for why I’m okay…It’s the nature of my existence.”“Oh fuck don’t even say another word, I’m sick of hearing about the nature of your origins. Just, let’s find a kitchen.”“Way ahead of you boss, there’s one just down the hall here. The cooks made sure to bring us in close.”“The cooks transported us up here?”“Of course they did, who else would? Devin isn’t exactly going to welcome you with open arms. If he found you first then he’d make sure you came up here in a body bag.”“And the cooks don’t want that?”“Oh no, the cook’s hate Devin. Have you ever heard him monologue before? They find it as grating as you do. Imagine taking orders from someone using that speech pattern.”“Huh, can’t blame them for wanting to fuck him over then.”They made it to the kitchen undiscovered. The staff had retired for the night, it had apparently been some time since they’d transported Alyster and Nero to the ship. Fortunately they had left a meal out for Alyster, one that hadn’t been ruined in the subtle ways that they employed to screw with Devin Golden. It wasn’t oversalted, it was properly cooked through, the vegetables weren’t begging to rot, and no one had coughed on it. It was perfectly safe and nutritious, if a little cold. Now fully energised and able to walk on his own accord, Alyster marched out of the kitchen with his chest out and head held high. He was ready for a fight, a violent fight. He was ready to withstand three cages stacked one on top of the other, with his hands dipped in glue and covered in glass, he was ready for any overkill as long as it meant he could finally do away with Devin Golden once and for all. He marched down the hall, not quite sure where he was going but moving nonetheless. Nero followed behind, humming a quiet tune to himself. Alyster was sure that if he was travelling in the wrong direction that Nero would correct him, but Nero said not a word as they travelled across the ship. On occasion they would run into a guard patrolling the halls, Nero insisted on stealth so they did their best to avoid them, ducking into unoccupied rooms and behind corners to avoid detection. The guards patrolling the halls were alien in nature. Grotesque creatures with green skin and vaguely New Orleans-esq accents. Their noses were pig-like, their eyebrows dropped over their eyes, partially blinding them, their bellies were round and so large that they struggled to walk through the doors of the ship, which was ironic considering that they were the species that designed and built this entire fleet. These aliens were so unimaginably stupid that design flaws like this were commonplace throughout the ship. Nero explained that their presence was due to their unwavering fandom of Devin Golden. Having watched his exploits on FWA television since his debut with the company. They adored him in every incarnation, especially his current incarnation. Alyster pitied these creatures, they were too stupid to know any better. Eventually they stumbled upon a familiar setting, the kitchen they had started at. “We’ve travelled in a circle.”“Figuratively, yes. Literally no. We’ve actually travelled in more of a rhombus.”“Regardless of what shape we’ve travelled in we’re back to where we started.”Nero blinked, not getting the point. “I thought you were directing us to Devin.”“Oh, I have no idea where he is on the ship. I was just blindly following you.”“Well…fuck…”They stared at one another for a few moments more before the sound of boots clanging against the floor began to approach from down the hall. “Alright, new strategy then.” Alyster approached the sound with arms raised up in surrender and came across an alien guard, “We surrender. Please take us to Devin Golden.”On the bridge Devin Golden was relaxing comfortably. He was moments away from his conquest, once and for all doing away with that pest Alyster Black and destroying the entire world in the process. The disruptors were almost fully charged and ready to be fired. Aliens manned every station on the bridge, all looking rather bored. They’d have nothing to do for the last twelve hours but sit and wait for the charging process to complete, and even when the charging process had come to an end it would be Devin Golden who hit the button to fire every disruptor on the fleet. The button sat on the armrest of his chair, bright red, hidden underneath a latch that would open when the disruptor was ready. The Rotten Gold sat back in his luxuriously comfortable captain’s seat, a rounded chair on a swivel with many golden coloured pillows to comfort him, overlooking a giant monitor that spanned the entire wall adjacent to him and displayed an image of San Dimas, California. “The onlyyyyy thing that would make this beterrr…was if Alysterrrrrr was hereeeeee…”The doors to the bridge slid open and in stepped Alyster and Nero, held at gunpoint by the guard they’d surrendered to. “Oh Rotten One, I have prisoners for you.”Devin swivelled around in his chair and his smirk grew in size. “You’reeeee hereeee…finally…”Alyster greeted Devin Golden with disdain, “Devin, how awful to see you again.”
“Likewiseeeee, but this is a joyoussss ocasionnn. This is the last time we’lllllllll everrrr do this danccccccccce.”
“Absolutely, now how about telling your man here to stand down so that we can trade hands and get this over with?”
“I suposeee it’s only fairrrr to give you a fighting chancccce.” Devin hopped up from his chair and motioned to the guard who pressed his blaster into the back of Nero. “You go ahead scum, but your friend hangs back here.”“That’s perfectly fine by me. Go fuck him up champ.”Alyster nodded his head and began to circle the bridge, eyes fixated on Devin Golden who circled in turn. They lunged for one another, both throwing right hands, catching each other on the jaw. Alyster stumbled back in pain, his mask was torn open and blood poured from a fresh wound. Devin cackled maniacally as he rubbed his jaw before raising his fist. In his hand was a shard of glass, one covered in dried and fresh blood, both from the same victim. “You miserable, cheating, piece of shit.”
“This is the laaaaaast danccccce Aly…One of us neeeeeeds to dieeeeee.”
“It’s going to be you bastard, I have way too many fights coming up that I’m excited for.”Alyster lunged for Devin, tackling him down to the ground. Devin stuck the shard of glass into Alyster’s side. Black shrieked in pain as Devin kicked him off and mounted him. He began to rain down with rights and lefts on Alyster, punching him without mercy. Alyster only barely managed to keep his composure and reach up to claw Devin’s eyes. The Rotten Gold was blinded, shrieking as Alyster shoved him off. Black reached for the shard of glass lodged in his side and tugged on it, it was stuck in good. It was safer to leave it in than take it out. He slowly rose to his feet but Devin got up before him and kicked him in the teeth. Alyster fell onto his side and Devin stomped on the shard of glass, lodging it further inside Alyster Black. The masked man could only scream as Devin ground his boot down. “Chris man, what the hell are you doing?” Nero called out, “This is sadistic, even for you.”“He had this comingggggg. I’ve taken soooooo much from him…now I’m going to take everything he has left…” Devin looked back over his shoulder at the guard and Nero. “Shoooooot himmmm.”Before Nero could protest the guard pulled the trigger, a blast of energy shot through his spine, clear through his body. The energy ricochet around the room, hitting the consoles, sparking them and lighting them on fire, killing a few of the bridge staff and nearly hitting Devin Golden who had to dodge roll out of the way. “Idioooooot!” Devin hissed, he was about to hurl more insults at the guard but was interrupted by the sound of an egg timer going off. “Ahhhh, time to destroy the wooooorld. Are you watching Alyster?
…
…
Alyster?”Devin scanned the room, looking for his masked opponent. He followed the trail of blood behind his captain’s chair. On the other side was Alyster Black, his finger on the disruptor trigger, ready to push the button. Devin scoffed. “I was about to presss that button.”
“I know…” Alyster grunted in pain, “But I made a quick modification.”Devin raised an eyebrow then stepped closer to Alyster, the side of his chair had been ripped open, the wiring inside had been ripped and jerry rigged together. “What did you dooooo?”
“I think the cliche is that I reversed the polarity. Goodbye forever Devin. I hope you rot in hell.”Alyster pressed the button and the disruptor imploded, every ship in the fleet was destroyed in a bright green flash, including Devin Golden’s, taking everyone out with him. The cooks that hated him, the aliens that adored him, his most bitter rival, and himself. Just as Alyster planned, just as he was always willing to do. … … Alyster’s eyes fluttered open, he was surrounded by nothing except blackness. But he wasn’t alone. With him was a familiar fiery face, his guide, Nero. “So…this is oblivion?”“Not for you my friend. This is the end of everything for Devin Golden. When you defeat him at Simpre, this is where he will go. Into limbo, into nothingness. He believes he’s going to wake up from a long coma and be reunited with him family, he believes that he’s going to live a long and happy life.”“Not if I have anything to say about it. Putting an end to Devin Golden sounds like a gift from Heaven.”“Absolutely, fuck Devin Golden.”“Well, since that’s over. Are you going to get into that whole nature of your origin thing?”“I suppose it’s time. The story is wrapped up in a nice little bow. The man who started you on your journey of heartbreak is the last stop on you finally restoring your heart in full. I mean, winning the World Championship was a good bandaid, a little shotcut to the end, but ending Devin Golden’s career? That’s the real endgame. He tried to carve your heart out and you end his career. That only seems fair.”
“As for what I am? Well, I’m a part of you aren’t I? Who better to guide you through the restoration of your heart than your fighting spit anthropomorphized on the metaphysical plane? Retreating to fantasy to deal with your problems, to reflect and make strides, that’s what this is all about isn’t it?"“Fuckin’ A”Nero smirked as only he could, expressionless before the fire that made up his body engulfed Alyster and was absorbed into his being. All he had to do now was make his fantasy a reality. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:19:07 GMT
Promo reviews. Originally posted by CBK. @dubble J The opening scene of your promo had me immediately hooked. I was not expecting any of that to happen. Normally I would say that the big revelation in the opening act felt rushed but the way that you flushed it out in the following parts satisfied me enough as a reader to be like there's a reason why that character came out and asked that question. I've never seen X-Files and I'm not sure if this is a spoof of one of the episodes or not but I truly mean this when I say that this was one of the most exciting pieces of writing that I have ever seen in efedding. I normally get bored and start skimming when reading but I read every single word of this promo. The way that you had the cases align with the characters of the fed was terrific and then you threw in some foreshadowing of upcoming cases was just a thing of beauty. Your dialogue was also so smooth and realistic. I encourage the fed members to see how natural that dialogue in this promo was. It will greatly help you all out if you struggle with that. The way you tied the whole thing back to your opponent (Cyrus Truth) and were able to tie so many elements of his character to the character portraying him in the promo was done in a way that it didn't feel forced. Cyrus is going to have a tough hill to climb to combat what you put out because you did an amazing job here. I'm trying to think of anything that I can say for you to improve on but this was such a good promo I can't think of anything. If you haven't had the chance to read this you are truly cheating yourself out of some gripping writing. 40/40 in my book. @tiger Princess I believe that you said that you would go a slightly different route with your promo than you normally do for this one and I think that can be a good thing. I can admit that it can get boring writing the same/similar-themed promos. I thought you did an excellent job of describing the agony and disappointment that Vampyra (Vamp) was experiencing after losing to MVH and still dealing with the attack from Summers. I did feel like there were many short choppy sentences that could have been combined together instead - but that could just be a style difference between you and me. I noticed throughout the promo that you had included many details that I felt didn't really help push the narrative further or add to the scene setting. I liked what you did with incorporating the "death" of Gabby at the hands of Kayden into the promo and how you wrapped everything up with the character that was supposed to be Kayden. I thought it was a nice touch to really hit your opponent while also still telling the story that you wanted to tell. You do a great job of showcasing the importance of the relationships that Vampyra has with her friends in every promo that I have read from you. Too many times we see characters that are just loners and have no one to confide in when they are at their lowest of lows or to celebrate with when they are at their highest. You could tell that her friend was deeply impacted by the loss of Vampyra at the funeral. That was a good showcase of pathos. Although I'm a big fan of how you portray the relationships between Vampyra and her friends I find myself not impressed with the dialogue presented between them. It doesn't feel real. The characters are just giving monologues with little to no emotion shown throughout it and that's just not how people talk in the real world. They narrow their eyes when they are making a stinging point at someone. They may pace around while talking to show that they are thinking or confuse the person they are talking to or do other small things that are important to convey their message. I would tell you to kind of take a look at SS' previous promos and even the most recent one from Dubb. I find looking at how my favorite authors add in details in the books I read a good place to look when I'm writing dialogue. I didn't realize that Vampyra was supposed to be 21 years old. This literally has no impact on your promo or anything like that it's just a pet peeve of mine that I've seen for ears in the efed world - where they'll have this really young wrestler (pretty much anyone under 25) that's had such an accomplished career prior to coming to the fed. It just doesn't read well to me because it's kind of an anomaly. I would bet that almost 90% of 21-year-olds aren't excelling at the careers they choose at the same level as those who've been in the industry a little longer. Tie in the fact that most 21-year-olds are extremely immature and lack the critical thinking skills that you have provided for the character of Vampyra. I personally think it's a disservice to the character to have her that young but that's just my opinion. mandalorianI think the last time that I read a Chris Peacock promo he was depressed and going to a wedding that his brother was catering. It's been a while and I wanted to see what he had been up to since then. The way you write this character is so good because I genuinely couldn't help but think that he was a sleazy dude that I wouldn't want to be around. Him at the bar in the promo and then beating on the DJ booth just gave me the "ick". That sounds bad but that's actually a good thing because it's hard as fuck to get people to have any feelings about a character and you do that so well. From what I'm getting after reading this promo, Chris Peacock seems kind of like a Sami Zayn-style comedy heel. He's got these comedic moments in him but as a competitor, he's still dangerous and shouldn't be underestimated at all. I really enjoyed that you explored the dangers of unprotected sex in your promo because STDs are real! I also liked how the section divider"dick" kept getting redder as the promo progressed. That was a nice little touch. I feel like the itch and burning were supposed to be a metaphor for Peacock getting that itch and burning desire back to get the world title after "cumming" second again? If that's the metaphor you were going for then it was good. I just didn't understand the ending doctor's scene. It seemed kind of like things went left there. The dialogue at points was kind of iffy to me as well. It seemed like how the dialogue is in British comedies where it doesn't seem natural to us Americans but it is hilarious to the people in the UK. So it may just be a cultural thing. Idk. I liked that you added in pieces about PAJ into the promo but it seemed like they were kind of just thrown in there to hit that match relevancy tick on the grading scale (is that still part of our grades, idk). It didn't seem like Peacock thinking about PAJ and seeing him as a threat really fit with the rest of the promo. @jimmy King I always have fun reading your promos. I love the way you write for Jackson Fenix. You've really mastered treating Jackson Fenix and Nate Savage as completely separate characters who have their own lives outside of one another. That's a major strength that I think sometimes is lost when people write for a tag team. You also have done a great job creating lore for Jackson Fenix that follows him throughout promos (his beef with Big Bird and his having a big dick). I love good callbacks to previous promos like that. It gives your character character if that makes sense. My only gripe with your promos is that I always want you to flesh them out just a little bit more. That's a selfish request on my part because I genuinely enjoy reading your characters and the shit they get into. I'm rooting for you to get the "W" in this match though because I'm a supporter of the Nasty Alliance  @welshyboi I'll start by saying that I enjoyed the Spongebob references throughout the promo. It felt as though they were being used to reference a secondary story/conflict that you are wanting to get into in the future. The Bellatrix character seems very childlike and kind of gives me Sabrina from Pokemon vibes (if you've never seen those two Pokemon episodes where we meet Sabrina, I encourage you to check them out). It adds a certain amount of intrigue to the character seeing how her focus could not be broken until she was drenched. It had me wondering what was up with her. I really enjoyed how you wrote the interaction between her and her brother - who it is obvious is concerned and cares about her. I just really wish that you would have gone harder on Shawn Summers. Shawn's such a dick of a character and I think that he plays the perfect villain to faces. There is so much that you can shit on Shawn about that would score you some major points - he's got a terrible win/loss record; he has no one that cares about him anymore; he sees himself as a big star in the FWA but he can't hang with them when the time comes; he cares what people think about him and it's very obvious just based on that temper tantrum he threw for weeks after losing the TV Championship. If you really break Shawn Summers the character down you'll realize he's only a threat because he says he's a threat. In reality, he's a shit person and an even shittier wrestler who can't finish. Good introduction to the character of Bellatrix though with the promo. I'll be reading more from you in the future. @the Golden One So let's set the stage for a few things before I get into my review. One, you know I don't get to read as much as I would like and I want you to know that I hate I hadn't had a chance to follow the Devin Golden character as he went on this journey. Two, it's hard for some people to realize when they have accomplished everything with a character and I have to say that you choose the perfect time to do it - still on top and in your prime with writing. Now, to get into the actual review. I knew that Devin had this thought that all of the FWA was just made up in his head and him waking up in the hospital and the doctor telling him you're good and you can finally go home was just so damn good to me. You really got me hooked with that intro. Devin knows its over but is like I've gotta go back and finish . Chefs kiss good. I loved how you had Devin Golden talking to you the writer in the car and getting answers to some questions and leaving other answers up to Devin and the reader to decide. It was dialogue-heavy at times but that wasn't a bad thing for me because I was genuinely hooked on what they were saying and not how they were reacting (I mean they're driving what all can you really do in a car, lol). The notes to Rondo and Toner was great and really added to the finality to things. I liked the way you let them know you have some regrets of things that you didn't get to do with them - it gave it more depth. I felt like there was some of you coming through in the Devin Golden character when talking about how you created all of this because in a sense you kind of did for a good while when you were head mod. We were in your world playing with our characters. That was such good shit! Alyster Black wasn't the focus of the promo and normally I would be like aww man you gotta focus on your opponent a little bit but fuck man it worked the way you did mention Alyster still giving him props but also hyping up your legacy throughout the promo. The ending sequence was straight up out of a movie. It was real emotion, man. I loved it. tommy Bedlam The choose your own adventure route is risky. If pulled off right you can produce a promo that will be talked about for a while. Wrongly pull it off, and...well at least you had fun writing it, right? I LOVED how you gave the reader background on Tommy and the moments in his life that shaped him into who is today (depending on the path you choose). Getting that backstory is always good in my opinion and it helped to make Tommy Bedlam a more 3D character that I was connected with. As I did my journey I found myself feeling bad for Tommy during the lows and getting excited when I choose the path that lead him to good fortune, etc. You're putting a LOT of trust in the reader to follow through with multiple endings and deadends to get the promo that you want them to read and that is ballsy as fuck. You put some work into this promo and I admire the hell out of that. It took me FIVE ROUNDS to get the ultimate ending for Tommy but dammit I was determined to get where I needed to. There is no doubt in my mind that you are a great writer. As you can tell from my other comments you know I'm very hard on everyone when it comes to dialogue. I think that's one area where you could learn from Dubb, SS, Rawr, Krash, etc. That was one of the only parts where I was like "if he tightened this up and added a little emotion and expression from the characters providing dialogue this could be really good." While it was a great story overall I feel like you kind of lacked enough match relevancy and focus on why you should overcome your opponent. Sure, depending on the path you choose, Tommy grew as a character but it left me little reason to come away and say oh Tommy should totally go over Michelle. It was hard to come away with that emotion due to the multiple different endings, etc - that's my only gripe with CYOA promos. supinesnakeI'm a massive fan of Ernest Hemmingway and quite enjoyed The Sun Also Rises so you immediately had me intrigued with that opening line. The promo was filled with allusion that was easy to spot but it wasn't done in a corny way. It seemed that MvH wasn't impressed with the cowboy or the bullfighter, but she was intrigued by the bull which was interesting to me. I wonder if you were trying to show how similar the two people were throughout the promo -especially once you got to the ending scene. The contrast between the cowboy and the bullfighter was done really well and I found it interesting that while they were brawling and had the attention of the other girls, MvH was less than. Is that a metaphor for how she feels about the other participants in the Climaxxx? You write MvH as such a dynamic character. You have such a grasp on writing her and her mannerisms and how she reacts to things. I think no one knows their character and how they would react in any situation better than you do. The writing in this promo was great, as usual, and once we reached the end I couldn't help but want to read more. It's a feeling I have after reading most MvH promos. Bonus - this is how I pictured Alejandro.  @cyrus Truth Your promos are always a good read for me, and this one was no different. You've crafted your writing style to be how you like it, and I can't even be mad at that. I would do my dialogue differently, but how you do it works because the extra details are always filled in around the dialogue - if that makes sense. I caught a couple of grammatical things, but it wasn't anything that took me out of the story (I love a good political thriller). I will say that this promo felt more like a stepping stone in a bigger story and didn't really focus too much on the upcoming match or your opponent at all. We're seeing Cyrus Truth kind of evolve in life and move forward as a character, though, and that's always a huge plus. I'm a big fan of your work, and I'm predicting that we will see Cyrus Truth as the World Champion this year. --- Originally posted by SupineSnake. @comeback Kid This was a really excellent piece of writing, with us returning to the German Summers alterago as he prepares to go to war in France, but this time in World War I. The setting of this promo was really well realised in all of the specific details surrounding the war: the buildup to it and the feeling of Summers and Trevor buying into the propaganda effort before enlistment, the gradual loss of innocence for Shawn and indeed Noah tha to runs through it, as well as the elements of battle itself, bringing to life a sense of barbarism. Relating the conflict to the recent Meltdown v Fallout angle was well done and creative. I liked that Summers' initial enthusiasm for the war eventually drains away as the promo progresses, and he realises he's not going to find heroism in the places he's looking. In reality, we got a feeling that Summers wasn't really engaging in the battle versus Meltdown through maybe apathy or perhaps his superiority complex. Here, though, we are led to believe that Shawn is held back by something resembling fear: a passive cowardice that hints at the fragility and vulnerability that we half-expect from the best Summers promo. Obviously, as soon as I started reading a promo about German soldier Summers, the Der Basterd Carnal Contendership promo sprung immediately to mind, even if the conflict chosen for the setting was different. The dates and youth of the Shawn character had me thinking it was maybe a prequel of sorts, and although I'd sort of figured this out before the end I thought that reveal was supremely well done, with the girl - the Trixie Bordeaux stand-in - dubbing Summers with his moniker and then the post-credit epitaph making this association and the link to previous work clear. This was really creative and a nice return to the Der Basterd character from the previous abstract promo without doing a direct sequel, which is a trip a lot of his fallen into. Speaking of Bordeaux, I did think for the majority of the promo that there wasn't a lot of focus directly on your opponent, but I was sort of willing to forgive a lot of that because it's a new character you're facing, and there was enough focus on Summers' position within the FWA - both historically and in the present - to make up for that. It also helped that this focus was done in a highly creative and non-direct way. The focus on the Bordeaux character comes at the very end, and I must say when Shawn sounds out the name of the city I smiled and thought pretty clever. Bordeaux having her brother looking out for her was a neat touch given the twitter sparring session you two have had. Bordeaux being responsible for Summers becoming Der Basterd was a nice touch in the promo's internal narrative, but I do question that within the wider context of the metaphor: Shawn has been a Basterd, even if not Der Basterd, for a while, long before Trixie came along, so that seemed to fit a little less well than what came before in the promo. Presentation wise this promo felt a lot more solid than some of your older work, as though it's benefited from more or more thorough proof-reading. This was never really a weakness for you but I felt this aspect was stronger in this promo outside of a few spelling mistakes (previsions/provisions and riffle/rifle stood out to me, probably because they're technical terms relating to the setting). I'm also not a huge fan of italics for all non-dialogue, but I guess that's just a subjective thing. I do like to see italics used to emphasise certain words or passages, as this can be used to help the flow of the writing and add stress or dimensions to certain parts of the sentence. A more noticeable error was 'Brock' and 'Dave' fighting alongside Shawn in the Jailhouse Blues scene, when you'd expect them to be opposing him given they were on Meltdown. This was obvious only a small part of the promo, but was quite noticeable given how well thought out the rest of the piece was. I also noticed the tense used flitting between past and present quite a bit, which would have knocked a little off the presentation score also. I didn't actually grade this promo but if I had I think I would've scored it very highly. It was an engaging and entertaining promo, very creative, well thought-out (mostly), and made good use of the chosen setting to highlight points about Summers in the FWA and his general character in an indirect way. Don't think this would have been out of place anywhere on the card. Top draw stuff and Vampyra going to have her work cut out for her to keep that championship at the upcoming pay-per-view. Also, thank you for your reviews of my roleplay and quite a few others. It's much appreciated. --- Originally posted by Man. @comeback Kid So SS did comment a lot on this and covered a lot of how I felt, but as someone who did grade this promo I just have to reiterate just how good this promo was. I too felt like it was an origin story of sorts and gave a great insight into how Shawn became the man he was and what some of his motivations are. He’s such a layered and complex character, with so many facets to him, but I can tell that you understand him completely. I think it is a credit to how well you know and write for the character that if I was tasked with writing a promo for Summers I’d almost not know where to start. Summers has been such an intriguing and prominent on-screen presence since Lights Out and I think it’s clear that you’re having a blast writing for the character at the moment through your writing, which is great to see. I won’t go on and on about the promo as I fear I would find myself repeating what SS has said. Out of the promos I did grade for this cycle, I feel that this was one of the clear standouts, which is great to see. Really looking forward to seeing how you tackle the tag match up next. Also, like SS said, you’re a king for these promo reviews as well. Thank you again for taking the time to comment on mine as well as everyone else’s. tommy Bedlam So I wanted to give you a lot of credit for taking something like this on. These kind of promos are very difficult to conceive and pull off and despite the match result, I feel like you did pull off a successful CYOA promo here for Tommy Bedlam. I think you got the concept right whilst not making it too complicated, so it was easy to follow. Things made sense and having read all of the outcomes, I do feel like you’d clearly thought out the implications of each choice. What I liked about this that for me helped it to stand out from other CYOA promos I’ve read is that it is fully grounded. It’s not a massive adventure or anything like that and the long term consequences of each choice being shown is a different approach to what I’ve seen before. I think we learned a good amount here about what makes Tommy tick. The one area I think this promo fell slightly was in the last sections. I’d have preferred to get more of a traditional promo section than a match write up when it came to focusing on Michelle. I think that’s ultimately what stopped this promo getting the win in this one; the focus being slightly misplaced when it came to the opponent. Overall though, you should be really happy with how this one came out. It is another in the long run of high-scoring promos that you’ve been putting out. Looking forward to seeing what comes next, partner! |
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:19:31 GMT
 XXV: “ALL TO PLAY FOR.”Live from Odessa Theatre in Odessa, Ukraine. Thursday 12th January, 2023. Meltdown opens up with a beautiful shot of the Odessa Theatre in Odessa, Ukraine before moving into the building where we see millions of fans piled inside. The fans are buzzing with excitement and anticipation for the evening’s festivities. We then pan over to the commentary desk where Rod Sterling and Anzu Kurosawa are standing by, Anzu greets the camera with a smile and a wave while Rod gives a curt nod. Anzu Kurosawa: “Good evening fans and welcome to Meltdown XXV: All To Play For! We are coming to you live from the Odessa Theatre in Odessa, Ukraine, and what a show we have in store for you all!”Rod Sterling: “Five matches on tap for this evening’s event with three F1 Climaxxx matches headlined by our main event featuring Cyrus Truth taking the current FWA North American Champion, Bryan Baxter.”Anzu Kurosawa: “There’s also Chris Peacock taking on Phillip A. Jackson as well as Gerald Grayson facing Lizzie Rose as part of the F1 Climaxxx. We’ll also see Reagan Cole in action as he takes on MDC, but first we’re kicking things off with a triple threat match to determine the next challenger for the FWA Tag Team Championship!”Rod Sterling: “Celestia Ravenwood representing The Coven, Dan LuPone representing The Lumberjacks, and Jackson Fenix representing The Undisputed Alliance will be vying for a title shot for their teams at Back in Town.”Anzu Kurosawa: “Those three are coming off that brutal Mile High Massacre match, so it’s possible that they can’t be operating at full capacity but they also want that shot at The Connection so they’ll have to do their best to push through whatever lasting effects they may still have…”{TAKE ME TO CHURCH || MILCK}[MEDIA=youtube]f4UhdgBVtVc[/MEDIA] “Take me to Church” plays throughout the building and Celestia Ravenwood makes her out on stage. She’s followed by her sister Blair Ravenwood and behind Blair is Kleio De Santos as the fans are less than welcoming for the witches. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit! Introducing first, from Lock Haven, PA…being accompanied by Blair Ravenwood and Kleio De Santos…representing The Coven…Celestia Ravenwood!”{THE LUMBERJACK || JACKYL}[MEDIA=youtube]A52p9jc-gOo[/MEDIA] The fans are more welcoming toward the LuPone Brothers as Dan and Doug make their way out. Doug postures and poses a little for the fans while Dan marches down to the ring in a hurry. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: “Introducing next, from The Yukon, Canada…being accompanied by Doug LuPone…representing The Lumberjacks…Dan LuPone!”{BOW DOWN || I PREVAIL}[MEDIA=youtube]n2EjeMx4bSg[/MEDIA] The jeers return this time for Jackson Fenix, who wastes no time posing and taunting the Ukrainian fans in attendance. Nate Savage appears behind Fenix and he gets his partner to stop fooling around and they head down to the ring. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: “And their opponent, from Los Angeles, CA…being accompanied by Nate Savage…representing The Undisputed Alliance…Jackson Fenix!”DING! DING! DING!Celestia Ravenwood doesn’t miss a beat as she charges toward Dan LuPone, and she starts pounding away at his chest but it has little effect on the large man, and in response, Lupone swats Ravenwood away like she’s nothing. Meanwhile, Fenix was watching and he walks over to Celestia to point and laugh at her, but he stops laughing when he’s approached by Dan LuPone. Fenix holds his hands up in defense and tries to feign innocence before attempting a kick to the stomach, but LuPone catches him by the boot and he shoves Fenix off into the ropes and off the rebound Fenix eats a big boot, courtesy of Dan LuPone! Anzu Kurosawa: “Fenix isn’t laughing now, is he?”Rod Sterling: “No, he’s too busy picking his teeth up off the mat after that!”Celestia leaps off the top rope and lands on LuPone’s back. She wraps herself around his lower body with her legs, and she attempts to apply a sleeper hold but LuPone has an answer for that as he falls back into the corner, causing him to crush Celestia against the turnbuckle! Celestia is a crumpled mess in the corner, and LuPone isn’t through with her yet as he charges forward and crushes her again, this time with a running body avalanche! Dan is briefly distracted by Nate Savage at ringside, who has some unkind things to say to the lumberjack, and this momentary distraction allows Fenix to clip Dan in the leg from behind! Dan drops down to one knee and Fenix uses this opportunity to start pounding away on Dan’s back. It seems to be working, but only momentarily as Dan slowly rises up and he throttles Fenix by the throat with a claw hold but before he can hurl Fenix across the ring, he’s tripped up again, this time by Celestia… Dan LuPone is down on one knee again and she starts pounding away on him. After Fenix finishes coughing and gasping for air, he joins in on the attack and eventually they have the advantage over LuPone… Anzu Kurosawa: “Celestian and Fenix have formed an unlikely alliance in order to combat the much larger Dan LuPone.”Rod Sterling: “Whatever works!”Celestia and Fenix take Dan by the wrists and send him into the corner. Celestia is quick on the attack with a running step-up enzuigiri in the corner, and Fenix charges in for a stinger splash! Fenix continues to stomp on Dan in the corner and Celestia reluctantly joins in on the attack. They drag him out of the corner, and after some slight struggling, they manage to lift Dan off his feet and hit a double team suplex on him and Fenix eagerly jumps down on top of Dan with a lateral press and a pin… One…NO! It’s broken up by Celestia, who shoves Fenix off of Dan and this time she makes the cover… One…NO! Anzu Kurosawa: “So much for that alliance!”Fenix breaks it up this time and both of them have a stand off before Fenix shoves Celestia away, and Celestia falls on her butt as Fenix motions for her to suck it. Fenix turns his back for a split second and Celestia jumps on his back! She’s pulling at his hair and doing anything she can to take him down, but Fenix manages to flip her off of him and she lands in front of him. Before Celestia can even react, Fenix strikes with a shining wizard! Fenix quickly drops down on Celestia and hooks the leg… One…TWO-NO! Fenix is pulled off of Celestia by Dan LuPone and LuPone brings Fenix to his feet with claw hold before he launches Fenix across the ring with a biel throw! Rod Sterling: “He tossed Jackson Fenix like a javelin in the olympic games!”LuPone lifts Fenix high up in the air before dropping him face first in the turnbuckle with snake eyes! Fenix stumbles back into the waiting arms of LuPone, who hits him with a scoop slam! LuPone follows up with another scoop slam, and yet another one and Dan is hyped up now and he starts to hype up the crowd… Rod Sterling: “What is he doing? He’s wasting precious time here pandering to the fans!”Anzu Kurosawa: “Dan is giving them their money’s worth, Rod!”Dan is hyped up now and so is his brother Doug on the outside, but out of the corner of his eye Doug notices Celestia on the top rope and he tries to warn his brother but it’s too late as Celestia leaps off with a crossbody only to be caught in mid-air by Dan. Celestia does her best to fight out of his clutches, and he’s nodding in approval from the fans that want him to hit the fallaway slam but before he can do that he’s chopped down, much like he would do to a tree, but this time it’s Jackson Fenix doing the chopping to Dan’s knees. Dan drops down with Celestia still in his grasp, and Fenix nails him with a superkick! Dan falls back with his shoulders to the mat and Celestia remains on top of him for the pin… One…two…THREE-NO! Anzu Kurosawa: “That almost backfired on Fenix as Celestia nearly stole the victory from him!”Fenix kicks Celestia off of Dan and he stomps away on Celestia. Fenix lifts Celestia up and he has her in position for Sin City Hangover, but as he lifts her up she’s able to flip over behind him and she quickly rolls him up! One…two…THREE-NO! Fenix kicks out and rolls through but before he can react he gets a spinning heel kick to the face! Fenix drops down and rolls out to the apron. Celestia climbs to the top as Dan LuPone is rising up and she leaps off but he catches her again in position for Greeting from The North falling powerslam. Celestia spins out of his grip and she’s behind him and she strikes with a kick to the back of the leg, and Dan is down to one knee. Celestia runs the ropes but she’s tripped up by Nate Savage on the outside, and this immediately draws the ire of Blaire and Kleio, who chase Savage away while Celestia has her back turned watching this go down and as she turns around…SUPERKICK ME BABY ONE MORE TIME! Fenix gets all of the superkick on Celestia and she’s out like a light! Fenix turns around to get throttled again by Dan LuPone, but he counters with a kick below the belt! The referee was too busy dealing with the chaos on the outside, which allowed Fenix to hit the low blow and just as the referee returned focus to the happenings in the ring…CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ ON DAN LUPONE! Fenix makes the cover… One…two…THREE! {RESULT}Winner: Jackson Fenix by pinfall in 13:11. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: “The winner of the match, Jackson Fenix!”Fenix jumps up and down in victory but he doesn’t celebrate in the ring for long because Doug LuPone charges in to check on his brother, and that prompts Fenix to scurry out of the ring where he joins Nate Savage and the two friends share a quick hug as they back away up the ramp while Blair and Kleio check on Celestia on the outside. Rod Sterling: “Jackson Fenix earns the right for the Undisputed Alliance to challenge The Connection at Back in Town!”Anzu Kurosawa: “That’s all well and good for them, but if it weren’t for Nate Savage causing a commotion at ringside which allowed Fenix to hit that low blow, well then I think we’d be seeing a different result. Anyway, the action will continue on Meltdown in just a few moments, stay tuned!” In a backstage area inside the Odessa Theatre, almost like a green room, what appears to be a party of some description is getting underway. A lot of the FWA roster is in attendance and it would seem from the decorations in place that the get together is in aid of the conclusion of the F1 Climaxxx and more specifically, Pool B of said competition. Rod Sterling: "Plenty of causes for celebration here tonight on Meltdown, Anzu. Not only will we find out who will be joining Big Bryan Baxter in the Final Four of the F1 Climaxxx, but it is a brand new year! 2023!"The camera lingers on the likes of Derek Hunter and The Boulder momentarily before weaving through to some of the more interested parties. Then, Lizzie Rose is shown sitting on a chair focusing on the large screen that has been placed at the front of the room that most of the crowd have their attention on. Rod Sterling: "Lizzie Rose, the former North American Champion, is one of the interested parties and she needs other results to go in her favour tonight in order to advance whilst also defeating Gerald Grayson herself later on."Anzu Kurosawa: "She has her work cut out for her tonight, Rod, but we’ve learned better than to put anything past this young woman."As Joe Burr (at Lizzie’s side) shoos the camera away, it catches a group sitting together at the back of the room and distancing themselves from everyone else in attendance at the shindig; of course, Cthulhu’s Nephews. The group are laughing between themselves at something Quiet said, although Michelle von Horrowitz seems to be lost in thought (likely due to the revelation of the new #1 contenders for the FWA World Tag Team Championships) and Gerald Grayson, like Lizzie Rose, is paying attention to the screen. Rod Sterling: "Whilst Gerald Grayson cannot advance himself in the tournament, he will be looking to rain on Lizzie’s parade tonight. Michelle von Horrowitz is of course still in contention in Pool A and could be watching a future opponent for the finals of the tournament tonight."Anzu Kurosawa: "Michelle will definitely be interested in the results of the matches to come tonight, Rod."Further along the back wall from the Nephews is the man that is currently in the lead in Pool B and the only one guaranteed advancement already, the North American Champion, Big Bryan Baxter. Baxter has his arms folded and studies the room, balancing his championship over his left shoulder. Rod Sterling: "There is Bryan Baxter, a confirmed qualifier for the Final Four, but whether he advances from the group in either first or second place will depend on his match with Cyrus Truth later on tonight."Anzu Kurosawa: "Baxter has of course surprised many with his run in the F1 Climaxxx but faces arguably his stiffest test tonight in ‘The Exile’."Speaking of Cyrus Truth, the shot then cuts to him sitting directly in front of the screen on an unfolded steel chair, resting his head on his knuckles with his elbows on his knees, watching intently. Rod Sterling: "Steely determination on the face of Cyrus Truth, Anzu. If he can defeat Baxter tonight he shuts out Lizzie Rose and Chris Peacock and also secures the top spot in Pool B for himself, earning a Final Four match with either Tommy Bedlam or Michelle von Horrowitz."Anzu Kurosawa: "It is no secret that Cyrus Truth has had his sights set on another shot at the FWA World Champion for some time now; the F1 Climaxxx is another opportunity that he will not want to go to waste."From a close up shot of Cyrus’s face, we return to ringside where everyone is waiting in anticipation for the next match to begin. Rod Sterling: "It is time to see whether Chris Peacock can live up to his end of the bargain and put the pressure on Rose and Truth!"{HEIGHTS ABOVE || SIAMESE}[MEDIA=youtube]KznDgHkalhs[/MEDIA] There is a mixed reaction in the Odessa Theatre as everything is set up for the next match set to take place tonight on Meltdown XXV as the former FWA Television Champion makes his way out from the back with a determined look on his face. Jackson removes his jacket on his way towards the ring and then rolls under the bottom rope to get inside the ring. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "The following contest is an F1 Climaxxx Pool B match scheduled for one fall with a thirty minute time limit! Introducing first, from Bristol, England but currently residing in Toronto, Canada and weighing in at two-hundred and thirty-five pounds… he is ‘The Cleanser’ PHILLIP A. JACCCKKKKSSSSOOOONNNNNNN!!"Rod Sterling: "Tonight’s show is ‘All to Play For’ and that of course is in reference to Pool B of the F1 Climaxxx, where three competitors are still in with a chance of advancing to the Final Four. Phillip A. Jackson is not one of those individuals, but he has the chance to rain on Chris Peacock’s parade and dash any chances of the Golden Opportunity holder from making it through."Anzu Kurosawa: "More importantly than that, Jackson will want to ensure that this is not a cycle for him to completely forget given his current record and the loss of his Television Championship to Vampyra."Rod Sterling: "He’s going to have his work cut out for him though, Anzu. His opponent tonight is someone that will want to kick this year off with a bang following a rout of his own at the end of 2022."Jackson enters the ring and stands in the middle of it with his arms stretched either side of him. In the backstage area, we see that the gathered crowd are ready for the match to start. When the music of his opponent plays, despite the cheers at ringside, there are some audible groans from the assembled roster. {HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER || SISTER SLEDGE}[MEDIA=youtube]TDwutKpVyas[/MEDIA] There is a bit of a party atmosphere in the stalls of the Odessa Theatre, as Chris Peacock shuffles backwards into view with his Golden Opportunity briefcase in one hand and his Singapore Cane in the other. The cheers only ramp up as Peacock motions to the back and Alyster Black walks out and stands next to the man he teamed up with on Fallout 024. Black holds both of his championships over his shoulders and allows Peacock to take centre stage as he struts down to the ring, although it does seem that he is in some sort of discomfort. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "His opponent… being accompanied by Alyster Black… from Boogie Wonderland by way of New York City, weighing two-hundred and ten pounds… ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ CHRIS PEEEAAAAAACCCCOOOOCCCCKKKK!!"Rod Sterling: "A BIG reception here tonight on Meltdown for Chris Peacock, who has brought out the FWA World and X Champion Alyster Black out here with him as an extra treat for the fans here in Odessa tonight. We’ve been over it already though, Chris Peacock has to win this match if he wants any chance of advancing to the Final Four of the F1 Climaxxx."Anzu Kurosawa: "If he does advance? His opponent will be none other than his new tag team partner, Alyster Black. Whilst he is out here supporting a friend, this is also a chance for Black to scout future potential opposition. With Peacock also in possession of that Golden Opportunity briefcase, he could also just make the match for the title should he wish. That would be pretty wild, huh?"Rod Sterling: "Definitely, Anzu. A tough test ahead of ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ though in the shape of Phillip A. Jackson. He can’t afford to think about anything other than this match right now. Any irritating distractions or similar have to be ignored!"Peacock runs up the steps and through the ropes into the ring from the apron, and he drops a couple of moves down before dropping his case and cane for Black to look after at ringside. Referee Richard Davis undertakes his final checks on both Peacock and PAJ before calling for the bell. With the match underway, the two competitors begin to circle the ring with the crowd firmly in support of Chris Peacock in this one, and Alyster Black is already doing his part to get the FWA fans to support the man that he is backing. Peacock seems quite uncomfortable for some reason, and adjusts his trousers as he and Jackson approach each other, which gives PAJ the perfect opportunity to cut the Golden Opportunity holder off with a boot to the midsection, and then a sledge to the back of the neck. This knocks Peacock down onto all fours and Jackson follows up with a measured stomp to the back of the head that puts Peacock flat down on the mat. Peacock groans on the mat and PAJ follows up with some more stomps to the back of his head and upper back. In an attempt to fight back, Peacock turns onto his back, but PAJ stomps on the bridge of his nose and Chris immediately grabs it and lets out a muffled shout. Rod Sterling: "Peacock felt that one, Anzu! Let’s not forget that it was not too long ago that he suffered a nose injury in a previous F1 Climaxxx match against Gerald Grayson. Jackson smartly targets it."Some more stomps across Peacock’s body follow, and Jackson then measures Chris and jumps into the air, landing a knee drop across the bridge of Peacock’s nose once again! Chris sits up due to the impact, still holding his face, and Jackson pushes him back down onto his back and he gets on top of his opponent, hooking a leg for an early pin. ONE… TW-NO!! There is a slight air of frustration about Phillip A. Jackson as he strikes Peacock on the top of the head with a couple of punches before he gets up to his knees and then his feet, bringing Peacock up with him as he does. PAJ takes a moment to smirk towards the fans but this provides Peacock with an opportunity to cut Jackson off with a rising Backfist to the face! Fight Fever! Jackson recoils and turns around after being struck on the underside of his own nose and he then turns back towards Peacock… INTO A PIMP SLAP!! The backhand was delivered with a lot of disdain from Peacock and Alyster Black is shown applauding the ballsiness of the move, but Jackson quickly recovers and LAUNCHES WITH A PAJLE KICK TO THE TOP OF PEACOCK’S HEAD!! Peacock is wobbly-legged after the PAJle landed right on the button and Jackson rubs his cheek for a moment before running towards the ropes and springboarding off of the middle one. He lands behind Peacock and hooks his head upon landing - Inverted DDT! The move is hit as smoothly as it always is by the veteran, and Jackson once again goes for a cover. ONE… TWO-NO!! Rod Sterling: "The famously-resilient Chris Peacock keeps his hopes of advancing in the F1 Climaxxx alive once again and Phillip A. Jackson has really been the one to get off to a hot start in this one, Anzu."Anzu Kurosawa: "It wouldn’t be the first time that Peacock has folded under the pressure at the final hurdle - he’s on the back foot in this one and history could be repeating itself!"Again, Jackson resumes without missing a beat and once again takes the opportunity to strike Peacock a couple of times whilst both are down on the mat. As both rise up, Jackson applies a waistlock on Peacock and seems to be looking for a German Suplex, but Peacock does everything he can to prevent ‘The Cleanser’ from executing the move. Peacock drops down low to lower his centre of gravity and then reaches up once again looking for another Fight Fever, but Jackson sees it coming and dodges the rising fist, and then hooks up the raised arm and puts Peacock down with a Half Nelson Slam! Despite the crowd’s favour towards Peacock, they applaud the inventiveness of PAJ and even the FWA World Champion at ringside seemed impressed. Instead of going for a pin though, PAJ grabs Peacock around the head and he crossfaces his hands across Peacock’s nose and drives his knee into Peacock’s back. It is another method of wearing down his opponent and PAJ does well to control Peacock’s movement. The crowd begin to clap to give Peacock some energy to feed off of and Black joins in by slamming his hands on the ring apron. Peacock extends a fist and waves off any suggestion of submitting from the referee. Balling his fist, Peacock fights through the pain on his face and starts bringing himself up and PAJ attempts to keep the hold in place but Peacock meets him with a couple of elbow strikes to the midsection to create some space. PAJ transitions into a side headlock and backs both himself and Peacock into the ropes and he manages to shoot Peacock across the ring and Chris hits the ropes opposite, comes back and ducks an attempted Clothesline from PAJ and continues on to the ropes again and comes back - SPEAR! The Spear almost cuts Jackson in half and both men are down on the mat and the crowd comes alive! Rod Sterling: "What a Spear from Chris Peacock! He’s got the chance to turn things in his favour now; can he advance in the F1 Climaxxx? Peacock crawls into a cover!"With Alyster and the crowd willing him on, Peacock gets an arm across the chest of Jackson, and Davis is dutifully down there quickly to make the count. ONE… TWO-NO!! The relatively small amount of damage that Peacock has been able to do to PAJ during the match shows and both competitors look to bring themselves up from the mat at the same time but find themselves on their knees in front of each other and they begin exchanging strikes as they rise to their feet. Peacock, a more natural brawler, seems to get the better of them and the crowd cheers with each one of his punches. Peacock blocks a punch from Jackson and connects with a straight jab, and then another. He spins on the spot and strikes a pose before hitting a final punch that sends PAJ back towards the ropes. PAJ comes back off of the ropes and Peacock scoops him up onto his shoulders and starts spinning him around with an Airplane Spin! The crowd and Black rotate their arms in time with Peacock’s spins and he then drops PAJ down on the mat with a Samoan Drop - Dance Dance Revolutions! The crowd pops loudly for Peacock and he shakes the top rope and roars out to them which only gets them going more. He however does take a moment to hunch over and adjust his trousers again. Anzu Kurosawa: "Chris Peacock is certainly feeling… something right now. He’s got to capitalise on this now and he could see this match through from here."Jackson picks himself up and stumbles back into the corner and Peacock is quick to meet him with a forearm strike to the face. Peacock climbs up onto the middle rope in the corner in front of Jackson whilst having a fistful of his hair. After holding his fist up, Peacock starts to rain down on PAJ’s head with punches and he gets to nine and holds his fist up again to a cheer from the crowd, but Jackson elevates him forward and Peacock gets crotched on the top turnbuckle! There is a large gasp from the crowd and Peacock seems to be in significant pain in the position he finds himself trapped in. ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ is there for Jackson to take advantage of though in the position that he finds himself in. PAJ clubs Peacock’s back with a big shot and then climbs up onto the middle rope behind him and then gets up onto the top rope and pulls Peacock up as well. There is a moment where both men are balancing on the top rope. It looks as if Jackson is planning on delivering a Back Suplex from the top but a well-placed elbow from Peacock causes PAJ to lose his grip and he falls from the top rope down to the mat. It takes Peacock a few moments to steady himself and he manages to turn around with the help of the ring post, by which time Jackson is back to his feet. Peacock leaps in the air and comes crashing down on PAJ with the Glitterball Drop!! Peacock is unable to go for the cover straight away though, as he holds his hands between his legs, feeling the effect of the move as well. He does eventually claw his way across the ring towards Jackson with one hand as the other is on his tenders and he leans back on top of PAJ to enable the referee to count a pin attempt; ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!! Rod Sterling: "That was almost it! If Peacock was able to get to that cover quicker, that could have been it. There you see backstage as well and Lizzie Rose in particular seemed concerned about that one."A shot of the backstage gathering displays Lizzie Rose with her head in her hands after the close call with Peacock’s pin attempt, a close call. Back into the action and Peacock rises up to his feet, feeding off of the energy of the crowd and he motions for PAJ to rise up from the mat and he positions himself in the corner and waits for PAJ to rise up from his feet and once Jackson is back to a vertical base PEACOCK CHARGES AT HIM AND RUNS HIM INTO THE CORNER… ROLLER DISCO!!! The Spinebuster lays PAJ flat down on the mat and Peacock leans forward and makes the cover! ONE… TWO… THREE!!! {RESULT}Winner: Chris Peacock by pin fall in 13:33. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Here is your winner… CHRIS PEACOCK!!"As Peacock’s music plays inside the Odessa Theatre again, the Golden Opportunity holder rises to his knees off of the cover and raises his arms, a strong feeling of relief evident on his face. Alyster Black climbs up onto the apron and steps through the ropes after sliding Peacock his belongings and the duo share a brief hug before Peacock climbs up onto the second rope in the corner and raises his briefcase in the air. Rod Sterling: "First blood goes to Chris Peacock! He’s done his part after a tough challenge at the hands of Phillip A. Jackson where he struggled to get going a bit there at the beginning but now the pressure is on Lizzie Rose and Cyrus Truth. Let’s see what this has done to Pool B of the F1 Climaxxx." Rod Sterling: "There you have it, folks. At the moment, it is Chris Peacock that is advancing into the Final Four, but Cyrus Truth and Lizzie Rose have the opportunity to change that with their matches later on tonight."Anzu Kurosawa: "It is going to be a nervous rest of the night for Peacock - and he’ll need to rely on Gerald Grayson and Big Bryan Baxter if he wants to advance. But if he does, it is the man standing next to him that he will be facing in the Final Four."Rod Sterling: "A very good point, Anzu… and it looks like Peacock has something that he wants to say…"The music fades out as Peacock stands in the middle of the ring with the microphone and he places his briefcase on the ground at his feet and clears his throat and he takes a couple of deep breaths. Chris Peacock: “Well, I’ve done my bit. Whether it is me or Lizzie or Cyrus, we’re going to have one hell of a challenge in the Final Four against this guy right here, huh?” Peacock motions towards Black with his thumb and the crowd roars in approval in appreciation for the double champion. Chris Peacock: “In fact, the reason why I’ve picked this thing up is because I want to talk about you, Alyster. Not about a potential match between us, and I’m not going to cut a promo on you or anything like that. Nah, I want to talk about what is going to happen on Fallout this Saturday when you defend that against Devin Golden.” As Peacock points to the FWA World Championship, the crowd gives off another loud reaction of excitement for the upcoming Winter Wasteland match. Peacock turns towards the backstage area. Chris Peacock: “But in order for me to talk about this properly, I’m going to need to invite that asshat out here because there’s some stuff I want to say to him and he’s not going to ignore me this time! DEVIN GOLDEN! GET YOUR GOOFY ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!” The crowd cheers as Peacock paces in the ring. Alyster leans back against the turnbuckle, seemingly intrigued by what his new tag team partner has to say to the man he will be facing on Saturday night. However, no one comes. Peacock shakes his head and then raises the microphone once again. Chris Peacock: “That’s fine, Devin. Don’t come out here. I guess that I can say what I want to say to you without you here, because it's not like you pay a damn bit of attention to anything that isn’t your own bullshit anyway!” Another cheer from the crowd and Peacock stands on the bottom rope facing the entranceway. Chris Peacock: “You won’t hear me tell you that I cannot wait to see the back of you after Alyster beats the living shit out of you on Fallout. We’ve all known you’re crazy for a while but putting yourself in that situation against Alyster? I don’t think it is going to be the end of your career, man… your whole deal could be done, bro.” Peacock seems to be amused by the situation and he motions off-mic for Devin to come out and it seems like he could be getting his wish. The first notes of a bass guitar ring out in the arena. A smirk forms on Peacock’s face and Alyster Black behind him seems to stand straighter to attention. The entire crowd shifts to the ramp, just in time for the outburst of “ZOOOOOMBIEEEEEEEEEE!” {ZOMBIE || THE CRANBERRIES}[MEDIA=youtube]6Ejga4kJUts[/MEDIA] Strutting out from the darkness of the backstage area is none other than “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden, the 13-time champion of the FWA, a four-time FWA World Champion or World Heavyweight Champion, a two-time X Champion, a seven-time FWA Tag Team Champion, and an inductee into the FWA Hall of Fame many years back. Golden has a black top hat above his long black hair, a handlebar mustache with the 5 o’clock shadow, dark eyeshadow below the top hat, and a black walking cane that he absolutely, sincerely, 100% DOES NOT NEED. His strut changes to a sideways dance atop the ramp as the crowd continues cheering his appearance on Meltdown. Golden begins skipping down the rampway with a Ronald McDonald clown-sized smile on his face. He then stops at the bottom of the rampway and points his walking cane towards the men standing in the ring: Chris Peacock and Alyster Black. Devin Golden: “HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Golden yells, getting another cheer from the fans in the seats nearest to him. Golden then strolls to the ring in a dramatic fashion, like a member of a marching band, his upper body slanted backwards and his knees lifted high for each step. When he gets halfway around the ring, Golden slides in under the ropes and adjusts his top hat to sit properly on his head. Peacock wears an exasperated look on his face as if he is already tired of these antics. Golden then grabs a microphone and commands everyone’s attention, once more taking center stage under the bright lights of the FWA. Devin Golden: “Chriiiiissstopheeeeerrrrr … it has been a bit, yeah? I’ve enjooooyed watching you … run around and … hold up your liiiiiiittle … briefcaaaase.
But I want to say … goodbye … Chriiiiiiistopheeeeer. This is my so-long soooong. Fallout … the Wiiiinter Wastelaaaand … against … that man.” Golden points his walking cane back behind Chris Peacock and directly at Alyster Black, the reigning FWA World Champion and FWA X Champion, who raises his middle finger in response. Devin Golden: “And by the way … Aaaaalyster Blaaaack … I’ve been saaaaving my goodbye for you … since I imagine our maaaatch will … suffiiiiiiice.” Golden turns his attention back to Chris Peacock. Devin Golden: “Chriiiiistopheeeer … as a goodbye … offering … I just wanted to say … I don’t know hoooooow things spiralled so fast … between you and me … but for me … no haaaard feelings. Sometimes … them the breaks, as the kids say.” Golden lowers the microphone and is set to walk away, but Peacock grabs his left shoulder and whips him around aggressively. The holder of the Golden Opportunity briefcase takes a step forward and seems on the edge of violence, just a foot or two away from his Back in Business rival. Peacock raises the microphone to his mouth again. Chris Peacock: “What the hell was that? ‘No hard feelings’? How deluded are you, man? I’ll tell you why things spiralled so fast between us, Devin. You didn’t take me seriously. You - a person who dresses, speaks and acts like a-a-a-a… DILDO - didn’t want to take me seriously. You dismissed me at every opportunity you got, no matter how hard Randy tried to make us get along. I didn’t have a problem with you, Devin. I didn’t have any problems with Randy having other friends. You knew him before me, after all.” Golden listens intently as Peacock takes a moment to pause. Chris Peacock: “But you couldn’t hack it, could you? You didn’t want to share him. When Golden Rock ended the first time, who was the one there for Randy? Who put him on the path to become the World Champion? It was ME, Devin. I helped your best friend become the World Champion, and what did you do? You got him to put on a dumb mask and dragged him back down to your bullshit and he LOST that title because of YOU.
Then you got into his head and you somehow got him to buy into your crap whilst YOU became the World Champion yourself. You’re a dirty, conniving bastard, Devin. I was the only person who saw exactly what you were doing and I wasn’t prepared to let you have it all. I was going through a hell of a lot of my own shit at the time, but I couldn’t stand by and let you get away with it. That’s why I cost you those tag titles. Your bullshit affected me so much that I had to bring myself to hit my best friend over the head with a steel chair and I didn’t get a chance to talk to him again before Back in Business. You took that from me, you piece of shit.
Then you spend the entire time dismissing me and ignoring me like I’m nothing? Back in Business… Devin Golden’s last Back in Business… YOU TAPPED OUT. I did that! We should have been helping Randy. But no, you thought I stole your title. After allowing Executive Excellence to make me the fall guy and I embarrassed you… you still acted like I was nothing. The biggest win of my career didn’t matter to you or anyone and somehow you bullshitted your way into a world title match at the Anniversary Show. That was MY MATCH, DEVIN! I beat you and you took my place, you dumb fuck!
Instead, I had to fight through the Golden Opportunity where I beat you AGAIN and still here you are, walking into another shot you haven’t earned. I don’t give a shit about your legacy, Devin. I don’t give a shit about your dumb hat, your stupid cane and your annoying way of talking. I can’t wait for you to be gone so I don’t have to think about you and watch you ever again. The only thing I’m disappointed about is that I’m not going to be the one to do it. However if there is anyone else I could choose it would be the guy that is going to leave you as nothing more than a streak of blood, piss and shit on the mat on Saturday night… it is Alyster f’n Black.” The crowd goes WILD for the last comment. Peacock releases Golden, who is for once stunned into silence. Alyster steps forward and puts a hand on Peacock’s shoulder, and Chris passes the microphone over to him. Black takes a moment and stands in front of the man he is facing in Winter Wasteland on Fallout. Alyster Black: “When I’m done with you, and you “wake up” never to return. I just want you to remember this… everyone wants you gone and no one is going to miss you. Nothing in this world can compare to the feeling I have knowing that it’s me who has the honour of putting an end to you.”Once Black has said his piece, Chris steps forward and takes ownership of the microphone again. Chris gets closer to Devin and has the Golden Opportunity briefcase in his possession once more. He speaks this time in a calmer, less-animated tone than he did before. Chris Peacock: “And if, by some absolute miracle… you do win on Saturday night. If somehow you do beat Alyster, I’m going to be there with this briefcase that you know so well. You’ll be in no condition to defend that title, Devin. You’ll see me standing over you, clear as a Diamond. That elation that you’ll be feeling will be gone in an instant. Just when you think that you’re going to get away with it again. You’ll be gone.
I won’t drag it out. You won’t get a final sliver of hope. It is going to be quick - and painful in several ways - and then you’ll be getting the hell out of our lives and we can all move on.
We’ll all just pretend that you were never here.
So, from the bottom of our hearts…
Fuck you.” With that, Peacock and Black throw up a middle finger in unison, right in Golden’s face. Peacock’s music plays once again and the two of them barge past ‘The Rotten Gold’ and out of the ring. Neither looking back at him as they walk off. Golden picks up the microphone as the two are walking away. Devin Golden: “HA-HAAAAAAAH!
I loooooooove these feelings. It waaaaarms my heart. Thank you … for giving me … what I needed.” Golden drops the microphone and lets out one last “HA-HAAAAH” before turning to the crowd and holding up his stupid cane and stupid hat.  Tick Tock Tick Tock The hands of the Grandfather clock move slowly, echoing in the room. The clock has a golden trim with its mahogany base. There is a vintage design to it, showing its age with some dust. The little hand is past the 7 while the large hand passes the five. A woman’s voice echoes with its usual cheerful coldness, Princess Nova. Princess Nova: “Precious time ticks away day by day. Minute by minute, second by second. Every moment is precious as we inch closer and closer to the end… Or so we think.”A yellow satin glove reaches for the clock, gently grabbing the hands in its grasp. The material has a light shine to it. Princess Nova: “Many let the sands of time slip through their grasps, letting every moment escape them. But what I have learned is that all you have to do is ignore reality…”Her hands close the two hands of the clock together and move them up to the midnight hour. The clock chimes three times… Princess Nova: “And you can live forever…”The camera slowly zooms out to get a better glimpse of Princess Nova. In a change to normal, a yellow flower pin is in her dark hair. Predominantly yellow, her dress is what you’d expect, making her almost seem like princess Belle. Her dress blends perfectly into her long gloves. She is in an entranceway in her Residence. The green wallpaper with a dark oak base, with a bookshelf nearby. Pictures are around showing the family that resides there, Princess Nova even being included in some pictures. Near the Grandfather clock, there is one painting which really stands out. It is of four people standing near a fireplace. We have Princess Nova, as expected, with a black dress and a massive grin on her face. Standing beside her is a couple, looking to be in their 30s. The gentleman has a strong jaw with some facial hair, well kept dark hair and a full suit. Oddly, he has some resemblance to former FWA World Champion, another and more famous Nova to FWA, Nova Diamond, though there are a few subtle differences. His hand is around the waist of his wife. Long dark hair and body with tattoos, she is tall and slim, yet visibly powerful. She commands a presence. She has a body conforming purple dress and heels. In front of them is a young toddler, little Keres. Nova glances towards the painting. Princess Nova: “Truthfully, I have learned much from my family, one of choice and each and every single moment I have been with them has made the prior twenty plus years of my life fulfilling, because it led me to them. Every moment of pain was worth it. Every time I gave my body poison, felt heartbreak, grew distance to some only helped me. I felt heartache so I can heal. I was poisoned to become immune. My heart was empty so that it can be filled with love and I drifted apart from others so I could drift to them.”Giving a small grin, she turns to the camera. Princess Nova: “My time was not wasted and yet I’m not like anyone else. I can afford to make mistakes while so many others waste their time. But that’s okay. Not everyone is capable of handling this gift, though all can be shaped by it. I learned that to be eternal, it takes certain traits… two of which are the most important…The first…”The camera moves closer to the camera to the painting, zooming in closer to the couple. The gentleman’s face is stone cold while the woman has a light, devilish smirk. Princess Nova: “Sacrifice…” Her voice trails off before she continues to explain. Princess Nova: “To live forever, takes a willingness to give up certain things. To suffer in the short or long term for a brighter future. You need to be disciplined. You need to be caring, and I see no greater two examples than these two people here. They are truly some of the strongest people I know. Their memory and their legacy is eternal. And they put me through pain, but it wasn’t out of hate.”She has a cold giggle. Princess Nova: “It was out of love. It was to teach me. They taught me to control myself and my gift. To take suffering as a blessing. Truly, I will always be grateful to these two wonderful people.” Gently turning her head to the camera, Princess Nova folds her hands. Princess Nova: “And that leads me to the second. Dedication. You need to be committed to make those changes. Loyalty goes a long long way. There is no person more dedicated to being TORN than myself. I have a passion for the way of life I have taken to heart. Each day and night I am Princess Nova. I am my ideal self. I am my true self. My TORN self. And if anyone…”Blinking, Princess Nova’s voice becomes cold. Princess Nova: “-If anyone dares try to take this from me, they will find their time run out…”Switching back, she giggles and even runs her hand through her hair. Princess Nova: “But nobody would be that silly! Hehe! But that is why I am here in FWA. To show my way of life to the world through the one medium I was born to do. Where we can touch the lives of many and continue our growth. An Eternal way of life.”Raising her finger, she lightly shakes it. Princess Nova: “But being Eternal can get lonely. As time passes you may become lonely. Your purpose will be lost. Which is why I won’t be coming alone…”Turning her head, Princess Nova looks at the painting again. Princess Nova: “You need your forever friend. A best friend who you can fight for. Make you laugh, smile, remind you when you cry to not lose sight. I need someone with me who embodies the TORN life, perhaps even greater than me. Whether together or on our own, we need to have each other’s backs, take one’s happiness as their own. Then we can show that to be TORN isn’t dark or evil…”She giggles. Princess Nova: “Hehe! It’s about Eternal love. Eternal strength. Eternal happiness. Soon, you will get a glimpse into our TORN Universe, and there my forever friend will be made clearer. I’m sure you will LOVE it. Hehe!”Looking at the camera once more, Princess Nova does a small wave. Princess Nova: “So stay tuned FWA friends. Everything will be clear soon. Then… you will truly believe...”Giggling, the TORN Angel blows a kiss and does a wave as the video zooms in on the family painting. First Nova is cropped out of the side, then gets a glimpse of the child… before moving up to the couple as the video fades away. {ALONE || JONATHAN YOUNG & LEE ALBRECHT}[MEDIA=youtube]PZdWLDKISp8[/MEDIA] The crowd responds with a good cheer as Reagan Cole makes his way out from the back, raising his arms as he does so in order to get the crowd fired up. Cole is wearing his usual ring attire, and he deposits his jacket on the ring apron before rolling into the ring and getting up onto the corner whilst keeping an eye on his opponent who is already waiting in the ring. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "The following contest is scheduled for one fall with a twenty minute time limit. Introducing first, from Essex, England and weighing in at two-hundred and fifteen pounds… ‘The British Apprentice’ REAAAAAGGGAAANNNN COOOOOOOLLLEEEE!!"Rod Sterling: "Tonight of course is not just about Pool B in the F1 Climaxxx, as we’re going to see the former FWA World Tag Team and Gauntlet Champion Reagan Cole in action here on Meltdown! Reagan has enjoyed being in his home continent the last couple of months…"Anzu Kurosawa: "Is ‘enjoyed’ the right word for it, Rod? I’m not sure how much he has enjoyed the resurgence of Jeffry Mason’s influence in his life and his former best friend TYLER turning his back on him. He’s also now been blackmailed into aligning with these two guys that have been emotionally tormenting him for months!"Rod Sterling: "It was just a comment about the European tour in general, Anzu. However, you are right. It has been a terrible time lately for Reagan Cole as he enters 2023, two years on from his FWA debut. He can at least get the year started off right with a win if he can knock off MDC tonight."The camera cuts from Cole on the turnbuckle to the opposite corner where his opponent is waiting. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "His opponent, already in the ring… MDC!MDC throws up some gang signs upon having his name introduced, and Cole drops down from the corner and starts shaking his wrists out and doing a couple of last minute stretches. Gracelynn Guerrero quickly checks on both men before motioning for the match to begin. As soon as the bell rings, MDC looks to get off to a hot start but he is stopped in his tracks by a Headbutt from Cole directly between the eyes! Both men are temporarily stunned and MDC wildly flails his arm looking to strike Cole, but ‘The British Apprentice’ easily avoids it and converts MDC’s momentum into a takedown onto the mat. MDC does not stay down and finds himself in the corner where Cole quickly follows up with a Running Corner Knee Strike! The clean contact makes a slapping noise around the arena and Cole grabs MDC and throws him overhead with an Exploder Suplex! It is a hard landing for MDC on the mat and Cole slaps the top turnbuckle pad a couple of times, firing the crowd up as he scales the ropes in the corner. Anzu Kurosawa: "Reagan Cole could be looking for something high risk here, Rod! He better not miss as MDC could find a way into this match!"MDC picks himself up from the mat and Cole steadies himself and takes flight, looking for a Flying Clothesline, but MDC moves out of the way! However, Cole sees it in time and manages to roll through on the mat. This is not noticed by MDC, who is then knocked down onto his knees with a Clothesline to the back of the head! Cole then runs the ropes and follows up with THE RHINO’S RAGE!! MDC’s face is planted into the mat and Cole rises back up to his feet and he holds his arms out to the side before motioning that the end is nigh for poor MDC. Rod Sterling: "Reagan Cole not working by the hour tonight it seems, and I think he could be ready to put this one to bed, just like reading young Jason a story!"Cole grabs MDC’s leg and drops down… THE FIRE OF COLE IS LOCKED IN! MDC struggles in the Heel Hook for a few seconds but then shakes his head and TAPS OUT! {RESULT}Winner: Reagan Cole by submission in 2:11. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Here is your winner… REAGAN COLE!!Reagan gets up from the mat and lets MDC go free from the submission and gets his arm raised by the referee in victory. Rod Sterling: "A win for Reagan Cole! I know it was not the most brutal match we’ve ever seen but he’ll take it I am sure."Anzu Kurosawa: "I just have to wonder whether Jeffry Mason and TYLER have anything to say about that win, wherever they may be."The cameras cut to backstage, outside the doors of where the F1 Watch Party is ongoing, with Lizzie Rose having just walked out to head to the ring, looking to keep pace with Chris Peacock’s win earlier tonight. However, the cameras also catch Bryan Baxter walking out of the room as well. But before he can get too far, Jeremy Best also exits the room. Jeremy Best: ”Bryan, where are you going?”Bryan stops in his tracks, turning to face Jeremy. Bryan Baxter: “Oh, hey Jeremy… don’t you worry about me.”Jeremy Best: ”Uh… that makes me worry even more about what you’re up to. Come on back in and enjoy the party… please?”Bryan Baxter: “I’ve told you I’m gonna make things up to you… and watching the first match tonight and knowing the stakes of everything going on tonight… I had a great idea!”Jeremy bit his lip, clearly not convinced and unsure about Bryan coming up with ideas. Jeremy Best: ”You know… I’ve told you the best way you can make things right… and you have yet to do it. You know Lizzie deserves it… and I want you to do things the right way this time…”Bryan Baxter: “Trust me… I think I can do even better than that! Just wait and see… I won’t let you down, buddy!”Jeremy Best: ”No… wait, I don’t think this is a… Bryan… hold on!”But Jeremy’s calls went on deaf ears because Bryan is already heading off and out of sight. Jeremy sighs and shakes his head before walking back into the watch party. {CORNFLAKE || PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS}[MEDIA=youtube]f60kHMYRsq8[/MEDIA] The crowd pops as Gerald Grayson walks out onto the stage, a smile on his face despite his premature elimination from the F1. He begins his walk down towards the ring, noticeably alone, whilst high-fiving the front row fans as he goes. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "The following contest is scheduled for one-fall, with a thirty minute time limit, and is a Pool B match-up in the F1 Climaxxx… introducing first, representing Cthulhu’s Nephews… from Raleigh, North Carolina, and weighing in at two hundred and twenty pounds… ‘The Daredevil’... GERALD GRAYSON!!"We cut to the backstage area where events are being watched by many of the roster, and particularly to the Nephews, who are causing a scene in celebration of GG’s arrival. There are party poppers, streamers, vuvuzelas, a marching drum wielded by Thomas West, and a trombone held with Quiet (though when he blows it, it doesn’t make a noise). A real carnival atmosphere. We then cut back to inside the ring, where Grayson is now on the second turnbuckle, whipping up the crowd ahead of the match. He hops down into the centre of the squared circle and turns to face the stage. His music fades out and is replaced with… {THE KEY THE SECRET || URBAN COOKIE COLLECTIVE}[MEDIA=youtube]2wyv52Ahry0[/MEDIA] Lizzie appears onto the stage to an equally positive reaction, and walks across the stage to wave to both sides of the audience as she is introduced. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "And his opponent… weighing in tonight at ninety nine pounds… from Brooklyn, New York… ‘The Rave’... LIZZIE ROSE!"As Rose high-fives the fans on her way to the ring, we again cut to the back, where Jeremy Best - seated next to XYZ - shows his support for Rose but in a much more demure fashion. Noticeably absent from the wide shot of all of the watchers is Bryan Baxter, but we don’t get chance to dwell on this. We cut back to the ring as Rose circles it, continuing to slap hands with those on the front row. Rod Sterling: "Lizzie Rose still stands a chance of qualification here in the F1 Climaxxx. The former North American Champion needs to win here tonight to match the points tallies of Chris Peacock and Cyrus Truth."Anzu Kurosawa: "But the Exile is still to wrestle in tonight’s main event. If Truth is victorious, all of this is for naught, and he’ll go through alongside Bryan Baxter regardless of the preceding results."Rod Sterling: "Rose can’t think about that now. She can control only the outcome of this match-up, and she has to ensure she keeps her mind on the job at hand without thinking ahead to the permutations in the main event."Rose looks focussed enough as she stares at Grayson from across the ring. GG offers a handshake, and - of course - Lizzie Rose takes it. The two back away to their own corners, the official conducting his final checks before calling for the bell and getting us underway. The match starts off in a flurry of activity, with lots of leapfrogs, evasions, go-beneaths… many an Irish whip. Both competitors appear to be trying to use their speed to their advantage, but the evenly balanced nature of the match-up means neither is able to one-up the other in this regard. One particular exchange sees a rapid series of roll-ups, with Grayson executing a schoolboy, then Rose a backslide, before Grayson with a sunset flip roll-up, then a crucifix from Lizzie, all of which get two-counts and an eventual stand-off (accompanied by a round of applause from the audience). Soon after, GG finds himself on the apron and attempts a springboard clothesline, but Lizzie ducks beneath and - in a rare moment of successful offense in an otherwise reversal-filled opening few minutes - connects with a step-up enziguri. Lizzie then proceeds to climb to the top and goes for a hurricanrana (which the commentary team points out could be an allusion to her former mentor), but Grayson shows considerable strength in blocking the attempt and then hoisting her back up into powerbomb position… only for Rose to shift her position and then take GG over with a victory roll, which again gets a two count. Soon afterwards, Grayson slides beneath the bottom rope to take a breather, but Lizzie wants to press and hits a slingshot plancha over the top rope. She climbs up to the top rope and waits for Gerald to get to his feet before attempting a diving cross-body, but Grayson reverses with a standing dropkick, taking Lizzie down with the anti-air. From here, Grayson enters a short period of dominance, including a passage where he repeatedly hits springboard moves, one from each apron: a springboard forearm, then a springboard dropkick, a springboard cross-body, and finally a springboard seated senton, the last of which earns a two-count. We also see Grayson coming off the top later on with an elbow drop following an impactful tornado DDT, but again Lizzie shows resilience in forcing the shoulder up before two. The tables turn when Grayson tries to use his strength and power advantage to take Rose over with a stalling vertical suplex, but whilst in mid-air Lizzie begins to bring her knee down into GG's head, repeatedly striking him with it and forcing him to drop her back down. Lizzie immediately follows up with a small package, with Grayson getting out at two. Both competitors scramble up to their feet, but Lizzie is first to act, hitting a spin kick to the gut and then a snap DDT. Lizzie moves into a rhythm from here, wearing Grayson down with some well-placed strikes with her educated feet, and punctuating this with some grapple moves of her own, including a flapjack, a tornado DDT to match Gerald's (which she dubbs Girl Eats Mat), and then a very impressive scoop slam, the latter of which earns Lizzie another nearfall. She appears to be picking up some momentum and building towards the finish, when… Rod Sterling: "Looks like we've got some company here, and three's a crowd…"Anzu Kurosawa: "Big Bryan Baxter is on his way to the ring, ladies and gentlemen! Who knows why… perhaps something to do with envy regarding Lizzie Rose's blossoming friendship with Jeremy Best?"As Baxter arrives at the bottom of the ramp, Grayson is just about finding his feet following the scoop slam, and Lizzie Rose comes back in to take him down with a spinning back fist. The Odessa audience pops for the move, though they have been cheering the offense of both wrestlers, and Lizzie - feeding off the adrenaline given to her by the crowd - signals that it’s time to finish it. She grabs Grayson in what looks like an attempt to hit Sliced Liz… Rod Sterling: "And just now Lizzie Rose notices that Bryan Baxter is here at ringside…"Anzu Kurosawa: "She drops Grayson to the mat and turns to face him, a puzzled expression on her face… I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Lizzie! Focus on the match!"Rose walks over to the side of the ring where Baxter is, looking nonplussed at the arrival of this unexpected interloper… Lizzie Rose: "… what are you doing here?!"Baxter climbs up onto the apron, the palms of his hands shown to Lizzie, as if trying to placate her and suggest he has no nefarious motives. Bryan Baxter (off-mic): "I’m here to help."Lizzie, still with a confused countenance, shakes her head. Lizzie Rose: "I don’t need your help."Baxter doesn’t seem to quite know what to say, and eventually Rose turns away from him… and right into a scoop powerslam from Gerald Grayson! The Rave fights back up, but she first eats a spinning back fist… and then a slingblade!! With Grayson pumping his fist to get the crowd back on his side, we cut briefly to Baxter on the outside, who has his head in his hands, shocked and displeased at what he’s inadvertently caused… Rod Sterling: "We heard Bryan Baxter make allusions to… well… something earlier on tonight. I’m not really sure everything went to plan out here, though!"Anzu Kurosawa: "I’ll say!! If Baxter’s intention was to ‘help’ Lizzie Rose, his plan has failed miserably!"And we also get a shot of the backstage area where many of FWA’s wrestlers are housed, shown in picture-in-picture. Just like Baxter at ringside, Your New Best Friend also has his head in his hands, surprise and frustration clear on his visage. Whilst Best is trying to work out exactly what his former friend was trying to do, he is jeered from behind by the Nephews, who have started a ’TRI-PLE B!’ chant behind him. Maid of Death is holding a massive poster, which has a photograph of Megalodon Man holding another photograph, which is a photograph of Gator Guy holding another photograph, which is a photograph of Frodo holding another photograph, which is a photograph of Stop Sign #2 holding a placard that reads ‘ LET’S GO GIGI!’. We cut back to the ring, where Lizzie is staggering up to her feet, but she turns around to see Gerald springboarding off the second rope and hitting her with a spinning European uppercut to take her off her feet! Rod Sterling: "And now Gerald Grayson points at the corner, the audience cheering him on… only now do we see GG sharing eye contact with BBB."Anzu Kurosawa: "I’m not sure the Daredevil even knew Baxter was out here at ringside… but unlike Lizzie Rose, he’s not going to allow him to cause a distraction!"Rod Sterling: "Grayson springs up to the second, then third turnbuckle… SKY HIGH! Grayson executes the double jump moonsault to perfection!"Anzu Kurosawa: "And straight into the cover…"ONE… TWO… THREE! {RESULT}Winner: Gerald Grayson by pinfall in 10:15. Grayson rolls off the vanquished Rose before climbing up to his feet, allowing the official to lift his hand in victory. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Here is your winner… ‘The Daredevil’... GERALD GRAYSON!!!"Rod Sterling: "Gerald Grayson picks up a big win here tonight, his second in the tournament… but it’s not enough to see him through to the semi-final stage of the F1 Climaxxx."Anzu Kurosawa: "We knew that Grayson was already eliminated before he competed here tonight in Odessa, but Lizzie’s hopes weren’t quite extinguished. Until now: that loss means she can no longer catch up with Cyrus Truth and, after his win earlier on tonight, Chris Peacock." Rod Sterling: "All eyes turn to that main event, then. If Baxter is able to overcome Cyrus Truth, it will be Peacock who joins him in the semi-finals by virtue of his head-to-head win over Truth. If ‘The Exile’ is triumphant, he will leapfrog into first place, pushing Baxter down into second."Anzu Kurosawa: "Can’t wait for that main event, Rod! Pool B is all coming down to this…"Grayson is on the second turnbuckle, celebrating for the fans, and shares a quick stare-down with Baxter on the outside. Lizzie has rolled out of the ring and storms past Baxter on her way up the ramp. Bryan, looking dejected, has his hands on his hips as we fade to black. FWA’s cameras are in a hotel conference room, set up with screens branding the company logo in the background. The walls have a sandy colour to it, creating a sense of calm and comfort. Above, an ornate chandelier hangs with various shapes, lightning up the room. Stretching across the floor is a dark carpet with a repeating gold design on it. In an armchair is FWA interviewer, Todd Salum. He has a full suit on with a dark blue tie. His grey and white beard is trimmed. To his side is an end table with a white coffee mug. Todd Salum: “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you once again for tuning into Meltdown. I am Todd Salum and today I have the pleasure of sitting down and talking to a young lady who has made a strong impression from her in-ring work in FWA so far, but who we still have much to learn about. I am talking about the FWA World Television Champion, Vampyra.”The camera zooms out until we see, seated across from him in a matching armchair, Vampyra. She has a blue dress on with black boots. Her knee, still healing from the damage to it in recent weeks, is still sporting a knee brace. The young Japanese wrestler has her signature mask with fang designs and horns. Resting on her shoulder is the FWA Television Championship. On a table next to her is a glass of water. Legs crossed, she gives a polite nod. Todd Salum: “First of all, Vampyra, thank you for agreeing to this. I know emotions were running high when I tried to catch a word with you after your match against Michelle von Horrowitz, but I trust now is a better time.”
Vampyra: “Yes, uhh, first I would like to apologise for my behaviour. I am glad you are understanding, but I felt as though this would be a way to make it up to you.”The FWA Television Champion is reserved, keeping calm, something which has been a challenge to do in recent weeks. Todd Salum: “I appreciate it. So, how are you feeling now? How has your knee been healing and how are you mentally?”Glancing down to her braced right knee, she wiggles her foot, showing how it moves. Vampyra: “My knee has been improving slowly. I am fortunate that it did not require time away from the ring or worse, but it was not at full strength against Michelle. I do not use it as an excuse though. Given my in-ring style, it is not the first time someone targeted my leg. I doubt it will be the last. Even considering that-”She has some hesitation in her voice. Her tone is subdued and she is looking to find the right words. Vampyra: “-Uh, the F1 Climaxxx tournament has been a stressful endeavour. I was not meant to be part of it. Owing to unforeseen circumstances I was given an opportunity and I was given zero expectations by most people. Most people-”Slowly, she points to herself. Vampyra: “Except for me. I did come to win. I did come to give everything. If I was realistic, I probably would not have expected to win a tournament like this in such a short time in FWA, but I also did not count on going 0-3 to start and having a possibility of going winless in the field.”Interjecting, Todd Salum offers some insight and encouragement. Todd Salum: “-I understand and I am sure you have been told this before, but a growing number in FWA see your record as not indicative of your actual performance. You debuted at Fallout twenty against the Backstreet Boy. Lights Out, became number one contender to the FWA Television Championship thanks to the Secular Spooktacular. Then only two shows later at Fallout Twenty-Two, you are facing the Double World and X Champion, Alyster Black. You got thrown into the fire and I think most put in your position would have quit. You stuck with it and held your own and nearly surprised champions in matches against them. On top of that, you also became FWA Television Champion.-”
Vampyra: “And I thank you for the encouragement, but that explains my frustration-”Now Vampyra interrupts, and explains. Her voice raises a little bit, though not yelling. Vampyra: “I am a champion now. Before that, I was the number one contender. There is pressure from those positions, but then you add me being so new. I felt like I needed to show my worth. If I am against such strong opponents, I do not want to be seen as someone just to fill a spot. And I feel as though if I do not meet expectations then it not just does a disservice to me-”Her eyes glance towards the FWA Television Championship on her shoulder. Vampyra: “But this championship. My first ever singles championship in my career. I do not want it to be a waste.”
Todd Salum: “And I think that leads nicely to something else. I'd like to talk about your time before FWA because I know not every fan of ours can keep up with all wrestling worldwide.”As Todd talks, images from Vampyra in COSMIC Joshi Wrestling appear over the screen mixed with occasional match footage. The pictures seem to be more recent, with her being in MAYHEM. Most notably for the pictures, we see her with two other wrestlers. One is a girl with silver hair and the other has long and curly red hair. Each of them have matching colours of black and neon pink and they are each holding up title belts on pink straps. Todd Salum: “You have primarily trained and wrestled with COSMIC Joshi Wrestling, one of the premier women’s wrestling companies in your native country and you have been with them for six years. From my understanding, you are still wrestling there, though your F1 commitments have taken up your time. How is wrestling in FWA compared to CJW?”The images fade and we get a close-up of Vampyra. Vampyra: “I would not say the competition in one promotion is greater than another. My recent matches in the F1 Climaxxx have reminded me of some of the stronger wrestlers back home. Tough to beat. But I never wrestled men beforehand until FWA. So I find myself having to rely on my speed more because there is a size difference which is astonishing. But another challenge has been travelling and learning about American culture. Although my English is quite strong, I have never been out of Japan. You also have to consider that shortly after joining FWA, we went on a large European tour. So FWA has hurdles I would not have encountered otherwise in my six years of wrestling.”
Todd Salum: “And that’s a bit of an interesting point!”Todd’s voice raises. There is a bit of cheer and wonder in his voice. Todd Salum: “As a masked wrestler, you follow a tradition of keeping your name and face out of public record, but what we do know is that you are only Twenty or Twenty-One years of age-”
Vampyra: “Twenty-one.”The FWA Television Champion politely clarifies. Todd Salum: “-So you have been wrestling since High School for many of us in the United States. So you’re in-ring development, as we have noticed, is more advanced than wrestlers from the West your age.”Fading onto the screen are some images of the earlier points of Vampyra’s career. Starting we see a very young Vampyra wearing a light gold and white mask, most signs of the future Vampyra being almost unrecognizable. Then, upon her adopting her darker persona, we see the fangs of the mask come in, though the neon trim is not there. She is using the legs of the chair to choke an opponent, showing a wicked grin while her then teammates encourage the violence. Todd Salum: “And an interesting part of the development is the fact you are masked and have created this identity in wrestling for yourself. Vampyra. Why the mask? Why Vampyra?”The FWA Television Champion gives a nervous laugh. Vampyra: “Well, I-uhh, hehe. I knew for many reasons I wished to wear a mask while wrestling, but I did not have an identity with the mask at first. But oddly enough, it was given to me by former allies in the group of Sin. I was young and they saw that as a way to craft me into someone they wish to use. They saw some… darkness inside of me we’ll say. So, they wished to give me an identity to enhance it. They chose Vampiress. And truthfully, when I did lean into it, I did feel powerful.”There is a small smirk on her face.
Vampyra: “They knew I was young, impressionable, and in some ways, it was needed because I was so young, I needed to level the playing field. The spirit of Vampiress flowed through me. I felt strong. I felt beauty.-”Her voice trails. She gives a long sigh. Vampyra: “-But how they brought it out of me I was ashamed. Things broke down and I finally escaped my old allies.”
Todd Salum: “You were definitely far more aggressive under the Sin label. Does that still exist in you?”
Vampyra: “Yes-”Vampyra is surprisingly quick to answer. But she gives a touch more clarification.
Vampyra: “I know that wrestling can be a brutal sport.”She points to her knee. Vampyra: “But I also know there is a time and place for it. At times I was ashamed of what I was doing. MAYHEM believed the same. There is a time and place for everything. MAYHEM is about doing what is needed, not worse. If I need to level the playing field, so be it and they were helpful to me in many ways. For example, the Vampiress, or Vampyra, identity, is one I have become attached to, but I was scared of keeping it due to the association with Sin. But they helped me redefine my spirit. It is forever part of me, and I am grateful to my friends for helping me.”
Todd Salum: “And as we know you rep the MAYHEM name here, and even the name of the trio you have established within it. For our FWA fans, the group was created by and led by Saori Suzuki in 2018. Vampyra has established a trio within which she dubbed in a post-match speech YOKAI Death Squad. It features yourself as well as Ririko who you have history with as an opponent and as a friend, and foreign-export, the self-proclaimed ‘Asian-Canadian Baddie,’ Cali Hayama. You pay tribute to them by being announced as representing them and continuing to use their hand gesture-”With her left hand, Vampyra puts down an “M” with her three fingers before giving a wink, creating a chuckle from Todd Salum. Todd Salum: “Haha, yes. That one! So, why do you do it?”
Vampyra: “I think it is just to expand their reach internationally and pay tribute. Starting again soon, I will go back to CJW in between my FWA commitments, so I am still part of them. Why ignore that because I am in a different country?”Todd Salum points to the FWA Television Championship. Todd Salum: “And will that be defended in Japan too?”He gives a chuckle, half-serious for his question. Vampyra gives a small grin. Vampyra: “I am not in charge of that. FWA is. Though I am looking forward to bringing the championship overseas for exposure. But I have business before it.”Leaning back in his chair, Todd Salum folds his hands. Todd Salum: “Speaking of, you are scheduled for your last F1 Climaxxx match this Saturday on Fallout, looking to get a deserved win against substitute Kayden Knox who got the position after turning his back on his former Executive Excellence teammate, Gabrielle. What are your thoughts on this match-up?”Her eyes have a slight glare forward. Vampyra: “Kayden Knox should not be rewarded for what he did.”There is a bite in her tone. Vampyra: “I do not know Gabrielle well. I doubt if I did that I would actually like her. But one thing I do know is loyalty. He said he had no choice but he is a liar. Even if it was in their best interest to separate, there are far better ways to do so than to put a dagger in her heart. He’s a snake. But these are the circumstances I have to deal with. I am going to do everything to not end this tournament winless! If not, then I hope to at least leave a scar on him. I know karma will come to him in time, but his payment will begin early.”There is a small nod from the interviewer, slightly impressed by the passion under her voice. Todd Salum: “Strong words. But what about your first challenger? It is my understanding that your first FWA Television Championship defense is scheduled for Back in Town in Denver against former Television Champion, Shawn Summers-”And upon hearing the name of the man who injured her knee, Vampyra tenses up. Her eyes cut forward and there is a light scowl on her face. Todd Salum: “-And I mean, record wise, the man has been on a roll. But in terms of disgusting behaviour recently, he might be just as guilty as Kayden Knox is, not including his already long list beforehand. He disputed the title change by threatening legal action. He forced FWA management to have him face FWA official Joey Ortiz and that is on top of the heinous attack against both you and former FWA Television Champion, Phillip A. Jackson. Should he be rewarded for this?”An answer does not come as quickly from Vampyra. She breathes heavily through her nose, letting some of the anger inside of her build. Her voice raises as she says an emphatic- Vampyra: “NO-”Then her voice trails, but she clarifies. Vampyra: “-But maybe I need to face him?!”Trying to calm herself down a touch. She closes her eyes and takes several deep breaths. Seeing a long pause, Todd Salum presses. Todd Salum: “-And why?”Exhaling through her mouth, Vampyra slowly opens her eyes. Vampyra: “-Because it has been a long time coming. As I earned my championship match, I have been distracted by his noise. While Phillip A. Jackson and I were in a tournament he was excluded from, he was making the FWA Television scene, not about the champion or his next challenger, but of the loser. He refused to accept a loss. He denied reality and tried to make a grand conspiracy-”There is a slight snicker from her voice. Vampyra: “-Tactics that have become common with some people. He beat up nobodies. He beat up an official, someone not trained to wrestle. Then finally he did something worthwhile and beat Jason Randall. It has been frustrating to watch his behaviour. But the moment he crossed a line was after my championship match. Your wrestling career has many firsts, some of which never come for people. First match. First win. First Championship. That was my first one-on-one main event in FWA, and most importantly, the first singles championship of my career. He then chose to make it about him. He was too scared to fall behind. So he made a mistake. One which I will make his last! If I have to put my championship on the line to get the chance to silence him once and for all, I have no issues. It is what is expected of a champion.”Todd Salum nods and looks to the side at one of the cameramen. He hits his wrist, asking for the time, and looks back at his guest. Todd Salum: “And we have time for one last topic, so I want to ask, what else other than Summers? If you get past him, what about all those other challengers? Some of which aren’t content with waiting in line. Like Jason Randall indicated he wanted in line. Then who else can be anyone? Maybe Kayden Knox will want in line? What about Reagan Cole? Newcomer Darius Wright? XYZ? Tommy Bedlam? What do you want Vampyra’s legacy as FWA Television Champion to be?”
Vampyra: “Truthfully, it is yet to be seen. I know I do not want to be a champion to run from her challengers. But I also know a championship match needs to be special and feel special. I do know, much like the F1, I want to enter and leave as a stronger competitor. I owe it to myself and this championship. But first I need to take care of Shawn Summers or else he will try to haunt me as champion. Everyone else will get their chance when their time comes. That especially goes for Jason Randall. I know he has a wild-side, but I ask him to control those tendencies for once and have a little patience. If you try to step out of line, well someone will need to cut you out.”She gives a wink. Seeing his time is running out, Todd Salum gives a small bow to the FWA Television Champion.
Todd Salum: “Thank you very much, Vampyra. I think this was an eye-opening interview.”The camera zooms in on Todd Salum as he signs off. Todd Salum: “That is all I have for you here, once again, FWA Television Champion, Vampyra is set to face Kayden Knox tomorrow night as her F1 Climaxxx swan song which will act as a warm-up to her championship match against rival Shawn Summers at Back in Town! Also on Fallout, we have Michelle von Horrowitz against Tommy Bedlam with heavy Pool A implications in the F1 Climaxxx, and our anticipated main event, Alyster Black has his first FWA Championship defence against Devin Golden with his Hall of Fame career on the line! The stipulation, Winter Wasteland! Folks, stay tuned!”{ANIMALS || NICKELBACK}[MEDIA=youtube]DLYwwtPA49w[/MEDIA] Boos fill the arena as Big Bryan Baxter walks out first with his FWA North American Championship peaking out from underneath his glossy red "Buddy System" ring jacket. Baxter shows signs of still being frustrated at his plan during the Lizzie/Grayson match backfiring. Mr. Scorpane walks out from the back as well, joining Bryan and appears to be lecturing him. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "The following contest is an F1 Climaxxx Pool B match scheduled for one fall with a thirty minute time limit! Introducing first, being accompanied to the ring by Mr. Bill Scorpane.. from Hickory, North Carolina and weighing in at three-hundred and two pounds... he is the reigning FWA North American Champion... BBBBBIG BBBRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAN BAXTER!"Rod Sterling: “It sure seems like Bryan was trying to try and make a gesture towards his partner, Jeremy Best, by HELPING Lizzie Rose get the win and perhaps get herself a spot in the F1 Semi-finals alongside him... that clearly didn't work out!"Anzu Kurosawa: "And it looks like Mr. Scorpane is giving him an earful for that, now. And probably trying to get his client focused on the match at hand."Rod Sterling: "He'll need to be completely focused on this because it's do or die for his opponent. Bryan Baxter already has his spot in the semi-finals secured, but a win would give him the top spot in Pool B and he'd avoid facing off against FWA Champion Alyster Black in the semifinals!"Anzu Kurosawa: "Yeah, definitely a lot for Baxter to wrestle for here tonight, and based on the tear he's be on during the F1 - he doesn't want to lose that momentum either!"The pair make their down to the ring, Baxter nodding to Scorpane as he appears to be taking Scorpane's words to heart. The FWA North American Champion climbs into the ring and removes the championship from around his waist, holding it up into the air to loud boos from the crowd. He removes his jacket as well and hands them both off to ringside. {THE SOUND OF TRUTH || AS I LAY DYING}[MEDIA=youtube]K91qwxCWmrs[/MEDIA] The crowd are to their feet with a huge reception for Cyrus Truth as he walks out onto stage. Knowing what was at stake, Truth's face show that he is locked in and focused, not acknowledging the big reaction from the crowd and instead has his locked in on the ring. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "AND his opponent... hailing from The Long and Winding Road... weighing in at two-hundred and twenty-seven pounds... He is "THE EXILE" .... CCCCCCCCCCYYYYYYYYYYYYRUS TTTTTTTRRRUUUUUTH!"Rod Sterling: "That face says it all, Anzu. Cyrus Truth is ready for this. He's no stranger to big moments and big matches... and we know he wants nothing more than to get another shot at the FWA Championship... a win here tonight secures his spot in the semifinals and he's one step closer to getting that shot."Anzu Kurosawa: "It's been a strong run for Cyrus in the F1, with his only blemish coming against Chris Peacock in the opening round of matches... since then he's been on a roll!"Rod Sterling: "Lizzie Rose's loss, which came with a big assist from Truth's opponent, makes this situation a whole lot less complicated than when the show opened. It's real simple... a Truth win gets him into the Final Four... and a loss means Chris Peacock is in!"As Truth makes the trot down to the ring, the camera cuts to the watch party where Chris Peacock is watching intently. He's so focused on the match he doesn't even give any attention to the Nephews around him that are trying to goad him. Elsewhere, we can also see Jeremy Best watching alongside XYZ, watching with interest to see how his partner performs in the match... and dejected Lizzie Rose nearby as well, her arms crossed. Cyrus climbs into the ring, eyeing Baxter briefly before he turns to take off his hooded ring jacket to get the match underway. As Cyrus removes his jacket, Bryan charges in looking to attack Cyrus from behind to start the match, much like he did last time against Phillip A. Jackson… but Cyrus ducked out of the way! A surprised Baxter turns around and Cyrus strikes him in the thigh with a pair of stiff kicks! Rod Sterling: “We saw Baxter jump PAJ before the opening bell of his last match but Cyrus Truth clearly had that scouted! That’s that veteran presence from The Exile!”Truth rocks Baxter backwards with a couple of elbows to the side of the head, sending him stumbling back into the corner. Truth gives a couple knife edge chops to Baxter’s chest before attempting an Irish Whip into the opposite corner… but Baxter reverses it and instead sends Truth into the corner! Baxter follows it up by running in behind Truth and delivers a running clothesline into the corner to Truth! Baxter then grabs Cyrus by the arm and now Irish Whips him… but this time it's Cyrus who REVERSES it and sends Baxter back to the other corner once again and Truth charges in with a running boot to Baxter’s chest! Cyrus works over Baxter in the corner with a combo barrage of chops and forearm shivers until he’s worked BBB down into a seated position in the corner. Fired up, Truth looks to the crowd for their approval… and begins to consecutively stomp on Baxter’s head against the turnbuckle! It’s the First Five Steps! The crowd counts along with the stomps! ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! AAAAANNND FIVE! Anzu Kurosawa: “What a start for The Wayward Warrior! It’s win or go home for him in the F1 and he’s come out of the gate with a PURPOSE here tonight!”The North American Champion uses the ropes to pull himself out of the corner while Truth measures him up. The Exile runs to the ropes and charges back in at Baxter, but Baxter sees him coming and counters by BACKDROPPING Truth over the top rope! But Cyrus lands on the apron! Thinking he had gotten a chance for a breather, Baxter turns around and is shocked to get rocked by an elbow smash from Cyrus on the apron! Baxter stumbles backwards as Cyrus climbs to the top turnbuckle…FLYING CROSSBODY TO BAXTER! Cyrus has the pin! ONE! TW - NO! Baxter powers out! Cyrus wastes no time despite the kickout. As BBB is pulling himself back up, Truth is there to grab him by the neck and takes him right back down to the mat with a swinging neckbreaker! Truth rolls back to his own feet and bounces off the rope, looking for a knee drop… but Baxter rolls out of the way! Truth knee hits the canvas as Baxter keeps rolling until rolls out to ringside to regroup. Truth is right back up and the crowd gives him a standing ovation for his efforts. Backstage, we can see Chris Peacock watching on nervously while the Nephews around him are mocking him, clearly wanting to see Truth win just to see Peacock locked out of the F1 Semifinals. Anzu Kurosawa: “You can see the agony on Chris Peacock’s face! His fate in the F1 is resting on Big Bryan Baxter here and there’s nothing he can do about that! I can’t imagine that feeling.”Rod Sterling: “And it’s not looking good so far for Baxter or Peacock. Despite his amazing performances so far in the F1… Bryan has been able to get in much so far against Cyrus Truth! And now he looks to regroup outside the ring with his agent, Mr. Scorpane.”Mr. Scorpane gives Baxter an earful at ringside while BBB is attempting to catch his breath… but Truth doesn’t give him much time to recover as he DIVES THROUGH THE ROPES with an elbow suicida! Scorpane scurries out of the way to the other side of the ring, wanting nothing to do with the action on the outside! Truth refuses to give Baxter any time to breath here as he gets up and drives Baxter back first into the ringside railing! The fans at ringside go wild for Truth as he delivers more punishment to the North American champion and looks to really deliver some damage to Baxter as he prepares to DDT him onto the floor… BUT Baxter blocks the DDT and manages to lift up Truth and charges with him - driving Truth BACK FIRST INTO THE RINGPOST! Baxter releases Truth and drops to his own knee while Cyrus falls over to the floor, clutching the small of his back. Anzu Kurosawa: “That’s one way to turn the tables! Truth’s back nearly bent across the ring post and that definitely opens the door for Baxter to take control!”Cyrus grabs the ring apron curtain to help pull himself up off the floor, but Baxter is there with a clobbering forearm to his upper back before grabbing him by the shoulders and sending him back first into the steel ring steps! Baxter rolls Truth back into the ring, climbing back in himself and then delivering some stomps to Truth’s back. Baxter slows the pace of the match down as he methodically walks around Truth, delivering stomps to The Exile, keeping him from getting back up to his feet. He then drops a falling headbutt down onto the back of Truth as well - focusing all his efforts on the back of Truth. Baxter added even more punishment as he bounces off the ropes and successfully executes a big running splash right onto the back of Truth. Anzu Kurosawa: “That’s 300-plus pounds coming crashing down on Cyrus Truth’s back! That’s going to be a trip to the chiropractor later, I believe.”Rod Sterling: “And Baxter isn’t letting up on going after Truth’s back. He’s locked him into the Carolina Cloverleaf! All that weight bending Truth’s legs back and all that weight coming back onto his back!”The camera zooms in on Truth’s face, showing the agony but also the determination as he shook off the referee, refusing to give up. Meanwhile, backstage, the face of Peacock has certainly perked up with Baxter back in control. Peacock is hoping for a tap out, but Truth isn’t about to let his shot at the F1 semifinals slip away with a submission. The crowd rallies behind The Exile… “LET’S GO TRUTH! LET’S GO TRUTH!” Cyrus scratches and claws his way towards the ropes and is finally able to reach out and grab the bottom rope, forcing a break of the submission… but not before Baxter holds on for the full five count from the referee. After releasing the submission, Baxter leans down and grabs Truth by the head with his left hand and begins to PUMMEL the Exile with closed right hand fists! The referee steps in, breaking it up and warning Baxter but he shoves him back out of the way and goes right back on the attack. He gives the recovering Truth a boot to the midsection and then lifts him up for a Powerbomb.. BUT TRUTH FIGHTS BACK! Punches to the top of the head of Baxter gets the big man stumbling… and Truth repositions himself and then COMES DOWN WITH A DDT TO BAXTER! Anzu Kurosawa: “What a counter and reversal by Cyrus! But BOTH men are down!”It’s Truth who shows signs of life first but just as he’s getting to his feet, Baxter also is back up to his knees. Baxter stands back up but Truth strikes first with a kick to the right leg of BBB! Baxter shakes off the pain and delivers an OPEN HANDED CHOP to Truth’s chest! Truth ABSORBS the blow and comes back with another kick to the right leg! And another! BBB hits another chop to Truth’s chest, this one staggering Truth back. Baxter runs to the ropes and charges in with a lariat… But Truth DUCKS! Baxter turns back around into a dropkick TO THE RIGHT LEG of Baxter! BBB drops down to one knee, but gets right back up and scores a HEADBUTT to Truth that BUSTS Truth’s lip open! Cyrus staggers back and wipes away the blood as Baxter hits another open palm chop to Truth’s chest and then gives him another kick to the midsection. He lifts him for a pumphandle slam, but Truth escapes, sliding down BBB’s back! STOMP to the back of Baxter’s right knee, followed by a RUNNING BIG BOOT! Anzu Kurosawa: “It’s The BROKEN PATH to Baxter! And that right leg of Baxter is really starting to take some punishment as Truth continues to target it!”Rod Sterling: “Up against a man the size of Baxter, it’s certainly not a bad strategy to focus on those legs! And it’s put Truth back into this!”After The Broken Path, Baxter begins to get back up to his knee… but Truth runs to the ropes and comes back with a running knee strike followed by a knee drop… WANDERER’S WRATH! Truth makes the cover! ONE! TWO! TH…KICKOUT! A groan goes through the crowd while backstage we see Peacock literally on the edge of his seat, letting out a sigh of relief that Baxter was able to escape the pinfall attempt by Truth. As BBB begins to get to his feet, Truth looks to continue his momentum as he tries to get the big man up for the Exile’s Edge, but he struggles and clutches his weakened back. Baxter takes advantage as he brings a forearm down across Truth’s back to break free… and then pulls in Truth, lifts him up and POWERBOMBS TRUTH BACK FIRST into the turnbuckles! Truth slumps over, struggling in the corner as Baxter takes a moment to gather himself before charging in with a running HIP ATTACK to the seated Truth. Baxter backs up… ANOTHER HIP attack! Baxter pulls Truth out of the corner, bringing him to the center of the ring… SITOUT POWERBOMB! ONE! TWO! THREE - NO! Rod Sterling: “SO CLOSE! But NO! Truth gets his shoulder up and neither Baxter or Mr. Scorpane can believe it!”Baxter argues with the referee, complaining about the count being slow while Truth begins to crawl towards the ring ropes, using them to try and get back to his feet. But instead, Baxter runs in and leaps into the air, bringing his weight down across the back of Truth against the middle ropes. Bryan then reaches through the ropes and begins to CHOKE Truth across the ring ropes. One! Two! Three! Four! The referee breaks it up and once again gives Baxter a stern warning. Anzu Kurosawa: “Jeez - how many warnings does this guy get? He should just… WAIT…”Rod Sterling: “Look out! Mr. Scorpane has the North American Title!”At ringside, Mr. Scorpane comes over and SMASHES the North American Title across Truth’s head as it was resting against the ring ropes! The referee’s back was turned admonishing Baxter! Truth drops to the canvas while backstage we can see Jeremy Best shaking his head in disappointment in the watch party. The arena is FLOODED with boos as Baxter goes over to make the cover. Rod Sterling: “Not like this! This isn’t how the Wayward Warrior’s F1 journey should end!’ONE! TWO! THREE! Anzu Kurosawa: “NO! CYRUS GOT HIS SHOULDER UP! This one isn’t over yet!”Rod Sterling: “Unbelievable! Cyrus Truth will not go down! The fire is burning to get that spot in the Climaxxx Semi-finals!”Backstage, Peacock has his hands in his hair in disbelief while Mr. Scorpane is livid at ringside. Baxter slaps the mat in his own frustration, getting to his feet and arguing with the referee once again. This time getting more physical as he grabs the referee by the shirt collar. While Baxter is busy arguing… Truth pulls himself over… and grabs Baxter’s trunks! ROLL UP! ONE! TWO! THRE…KICKOUT! Baxter is back up to his feet first and stomps on the back of Truth’s head, drawing more loud boos from the fans. But BBB ignores them as he pulls Cyrus up to his feet and lifts him up, positioning Truth for the Baxter Driver… But Truth fights free and down the back of Baxter! STOMP to the back of his right knee again and he follows it up with the second BROKEN PATH of the night! Truth goes for the pin! ONE! TWO! THREE! NO! Baxter with his shoulder up, but Truth positions himself after the kickout to lock in the LONG ROAD TO NOWHERE! The Submission was locked on! Rod Sterling: “He’s got him! This could be it! Baxter’s going to have to tap out!”Backstage, the Peacock buries his face in his hands, but slightly parts his fingers to get a peek while trying to ignore the jeers from the Nephews behind him. In the ring, Bryan Baxter is struggling against the submission and on the verge of tapping out… But it’s Mr. Scorpane who is there to pull Baxter’s legs under the ropes! Scorpane then runs around and yells out, getting the attention of the referee and pointing to Baxter’s feet! Baxter yells out that his feet are under the ropes which forces Truth to have to break the hold! Anzu Kurosawa: “Mr. Scorpane strikes again, saving Baxter from what looked like a certain submission victory for Cyrus!”Truth eyes Mr. Scorpane as he gets to his feet, but keeps his focus on Baxter. After a pair of elbows to the recovering Baxter’s head, Cyrus positioned himself underneath the big man… and… with all his strength… lifts Baxter up… onto his shoulders into the Fireman’s Carry position! Rod Sterling: “He got him up! Does he have it left in the tank to hit The Journey’s End here!”Cyrus struggles with the weight of Baxter up on his shoulders, and his weakened back causes him to hesitate just long enough that Baxter is able to escape down the back of Truth. Baxter staggers backwards landing on his feet but he spins around looking for a Discus Lariat… as Truth also spins around… DOUBLE DISCUSS LARIAT! BOTH MEN ARE DOWN! With both men down, the standing ten count begins. One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… But Mr. Scorpane climbs to the apron to interrupt the count! As the referee is coming over, Scorpane discreetly tosses the brass knuckles over his shoulder, landing on the ground between both Baxter and Truth. Anzu Kurosawa: “Not this again!”Baxter rolls up to his knees, he spots the knux as the crowd boos. But before he can decide whether to grab them or not… CYRUS is back up and KICKS them out of the ring! Much to the delight of the fans. Rod Sterling: “Not so fast! Cyrus makes sure this match won’t be decided by brass knux!”Cyrus grabs Baxter and shakes his head at the big man and then begins to bring him up… but Baxter scores with an UPPERCUT TO TRUTH’S GROIN! The referee was still busy with Mr. Scorpane who NOW gets down! Baxter grabs Truth by the head, lifts him up… BAXTER DRIVER! He hooks the leg… ONE! TWO! THREE! {RESULT}Winner: Bryan Baxter by pinfall in 19:08. An exhausted Baxter sits up, a look of relief on his face that he finally was able to keep Truth down. Katie-Lynn Goldsmith: "Here is your winner… BIG BRYAN BAXTER!”Rod Sterling: “With perhaps the biggest win for him yet, Bryan Baxter finishes Pool B action undefeated!”Anzu Kurosawa: “Baxter’s luck has really turned around in FWA since Mr. Scorpane has made himself more present… to say the least.”Rod Sterling: “It was a gutsy effort from Cyrus Truth, too… and without Mr. Scorpane’s involvement, the result might’ve been different! But now Baxter enters the Final Four and we’ll find out if his opponent will be MvH or Tommy Bedlam on Fallout! Here’s a look at the final standings in Pool B!” The crowd boos as Mr. Scorpane enters the ring to give the FWA North American Championship to Baxter and celebrate. We cut back to the party where Chris Peacock is now on his feet, jumping up and down in celebration, much to the disgust of the Nephews. Alyster Black offers him a fist bump and then they put their arms around each other. Anzu Kurosawa: “Nice to see Peacock being humble in victory.”Rod Sterling: “So, yes, as you can see… Chris Peacock moves into the second spot and joins Bryan Baxter in the Final Four! With that, we wrap things up here from Odessa! Join us for Meltdown for the conclusion of Pool B… and the WINTER WASTELAND match between Devin Golden and Alyster Black for the FWA Championship!”Meltdown comes to a close on a split screen of Chris Peacock and Alyster Black flipping off the Nephews while Bryan Baxter celebrates in the ring. |
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Post by supinesnake on May 28, 2024 19:19:54 GMT
025: “SIEMPRE.”
Live from Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey.
Saturday 14th January, 2023.
Fallout begins with a brief outside shot of the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey before transitioning inside to thousands of rabid fans that are jam packed inside the stadium. Various signs are being held up in support of their favorite stars, and it wouldn’t be a Fallout without the “Allen Price sucks” sign in the crowd. Speaking of Allen Price, the camera transitions over to him and Jean-Luc Watkins at ringside at the commentary desk.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Good evening wrestling fans and welcome to Fallout 025: “Siempre”! I am Jean-Luc Watkins and as always, joining me tonight is Allen Price.”
Allen Price: “Good evening Jean-Luc and hello to everyone watching at home! I don’t know about you Jean-Luc but I'm giddy with excitement for this evening’s lineup!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “For good reason too because tonight we could very well see the final match of The Golden One or The Rotten Gold, Devin Golden will possibly step into that ring for the last time in his storied career as he challenges World Champion, Alyster Black!”
Allen Price: “There’s a lot of history between these two guys, a lot of violent history, and it all comes to a head tonight with the richest prize in the game on the line!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “In addition to that we’ll see more F1 Climaxxx action and more non F1 action including Jason Randall taking on Darius Wright and a rare singles appearance from Luna Piper as she takes on Jin-ho…”
Allen Price: “Don’t forget about Ratin Mikichin vs Steve the Techno Vampire!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Believe me, I’ve tried to forget about that. Anyway, we’ll be kicking things off with the debuting Bellatrix Bordeaux facing “Der Basterd” Shawn Summers!”
Natalie Rosenberg: “Tonight’s opening contest is scheduled for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”
{FIREFLIES || OWL CITY}[MEDIA=youtube]QBgl4rVz3Ks[/MEDIA]
Good vibes fill the stadium and Bellatrix Bordeaux sprints out on stage to a positive ovation from the sold out crowd. Trixie waves out to the fans while sprinting down to the ring.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Making her way to the ring, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and weighing in at 125 lb…Bellatrix Bordeaux!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Bellatrix Bordeaux making her FWA debut tonight. There will be no lack of experience on her end as she has competed in some other promotions, although primarily in tag team action with her brother, but tonight she’ll go at it alone.”
Allen Price: “She’ll need all that experience and more considering who she’ll have to contend with.”
{COLA || LANA DEL REY}[MEDIA=youtube]lBakG7KtVZE[/MEDIA]
Shawn slowly rises through the stage with his head down and eyes closed. The lights strobe between white and red to the drums of the song as fog rises underneath him. Shawn tilts his head up, his face void of emotion as the camera pans around him. He stands in place taking in the moment until the chorus of "Cola" kicks in. He begins to make his way down the ramp mouthing the words to the song, ignoring the hands and verbal assault from the fans as he does.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Her opponent, making his down to the ring from Laguna Beach, California, and weighing in at 225 lb…he is Der Basterd...Shawn Summers!”
Halfway down the ramp, he takes a visual survey of the arena before slowly walking up the ring steps and slowly ascending the turnbuckle. His eyes closed his head tilted high - he's fully taking in the moment before hopping down into the ring. Shawn makes his way to his corner and crouches down as he awaits the signal of the bell from the referee.
Allen Price: “Talk about a mood killer, Jean-Luc.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “You can say whatever you want about Shawn Summers, but you can’t deny that recently he’s been on a different level. He’s become more motivated and more vicious.”
Allen Price: “One hundred percent agree with you there, Jean-Luc. Ever since he lost the TV title to Phillip A. Jackson, he’s become more unhinged and more focused. I don’t know if Bellatrix is aware of just who she is in the ring with, but for her sake I hope she’s able to hold her own.”
DING! DING! DING!
Referee Tommy Palmer calls for the bell and Trixie and Summers begin to circle each other before locking up. Summers quickly transitions into a side headlock, but Trixie instinctively shoves him off toward the ropes. Summers wisely hangs on though and he holds his hand out, calling for a test of strength. Trixie seems hesitant at first, but she eventually gives in and she reaches out only to get doubled over by a Shawn Summers boot to the midsection! The fans shower Summers in jeers as he drags Trixie over to the corner…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers, the sneaky veteran, lulled her in and she fell right into his trap. Although she is experienced, she lacks the years of experience in comparison to Shawn Summers.”
Summers fires off a barrage of forearm strikes in the corner and then transitions into kicks and stomps until Trixie is slumped down. Summers backs up a few steps before charging in…The Bees Knees! Summers isn’t through yet though as he takes up Trixie by the wrist and brings her down with a saito suplex and then rolls over for the pin…
One…TWO-NO!
Summers quickly transitions into a rear headlock in order to wear down Trixie, but Trixie begins to show some resilience as she rises up while Summers tries to maintain his firm grip but he’s forced to release it after a few back elbows from Trixie straight into his midsection. Summers is doubled over and Trixie strikes with an uppercut that has Summers reeling, and Trixie fires back with a standing dropkick! Summers drops to the mat, but not for long as he rises up while holding his jaw. Trixie charges toward him in what appears to be a thesz press but Summers catches her and he’s thinking Wipe Out, but Trixie blocks it and she claps her hands together with both arms connecting with each side of Summers’ head.
Summers releases his hold and staggers back, a bit stunned as he tries to shake it off but he’s taken down by Trixie with a running crossbody, and she immediately hooks both legs for the pin…
One…TWO-NO!
Allen Price: “Is it me or did she manage to hurt herself there?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It appears so, Price. That may have done as much damage to her as it did to Summers.”
Trixie is holding her chest after hitting that running crossbody and she takes a little bit of time to bring Summers up, and she goes for an irish whip but Summers counters with one of his own and sends Trixie sternum first into the turnbuckle! Trixie bounces off of that right into the waiting arms of Shawn Summers who hits a german suplex on Trixie! Summers picks her back up and he brings her in close…Wipe Out!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers with the perfectly executed overhead belly-to-belly suplex!”
Trixie sits up with a wince but Summers kicks her back down and he drops down for the lateral press…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Trixie gets a shoulder up this time and this allows Summers to grab hold and lock in a fujiwara armbar before transitioning into a bridging variation. Trixie howls out in pain as Summers wrenches back on the hold.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Summers is so precise with his submissions and Trixie is in dire straits right now.”
Trixie is reaching out for the ropes and eventually she does manage to snag the bottom rope with her index finger in order to break it up. Summers is not too keen on that being broken up and for good measure he drives a boot right into her midsection as she falls back down. He uses the ropes as leverage while driving down more boots to her. This draws the ire of the audience and Summers seems to revel in it. He brings her up and he begins to taunt her, and all that does is fire up Trixie as she strikes back with a headbutt! Summers is staggered and Trixie unleashes a flurry of strikes on Summers, backing him into the corner where she unloads on him with repeated headbutts until she makes herself dizzy. However, she does her best to shake that off and she drags Summers away from the corner and she hits a running bulldog on him and makes the pin…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Trixie sends Summers into the corner again and starts to unload on him with more headbutts…
Allen Price: “I think those headbutts effect her more than they do Summers at this point, Jean-Luc.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I’m afraid you may be right, Price.”
Trixie is a bit dizzy again as she stomps Summers down in the corner, but she doesn’t get all of the stomps due to her dizziness. She slowly wanders across the ring and shakes off any lasting effects of her dizziness before charging toward Summers for Bundle of Fun (cannonball in the corner to a seated opponent), but Summers moves out of the way in time and Trixie hits the corner back first! Trixie crumbles in a heap, and Summers gathers his bearings before dragging her away from the corner and putting her in position…Midsommar! Gotch style piledriver! Trixie’s head spikes off the mat and Summers drops down for the pin…
One…two…THREE!
{RESULT}Winner: Shawn Summers by pinfall at 11:47.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Shawn Summers!”
Summers has his arm raised and he quickly exits the ring and walks back up the ramp. Back in the ring, Trixie is checked on by the official, who seems okay but the referee insists on assisting her to her feet to a round of applause from the audience.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “A valiant effort by Bellatrix in her debut but Shawn Summers plays spoiler tonight.”
Allen Price: “A well deserved standing ovation for her as well, she held her own against a game Shawn Summers and proved herself. ‘Der Bastard’ is setting himself up well ahead of his clash with Vampyra at Back in Town for the Television Championship.”
After a commercial highlighting the newest ‘cutting’ edge blenders, we return to Fallout. In a backstage interview area, we see Todd Salum standing by with his microphone in hand. He slowly nods his head when he sees that it is his cue, and brings the mic up to his mouth.
Todd Salum: “Welcome back to Fallout, ladies and gentlemen. As is becoming something of a pleasant recurrence of events, I am joined at this time by the man who is in possession of the Golden Opportunity briefcase. He is, of course, ‘Disco’s Last Warrior’ Chris Peacock.”
Salum bows his head slightly as Peacock walks into the frame, with a smile on his face and he shakes Todd’s hand.
Todd Salum: “Chris, first of all, I want to extend my congratulations to you following the events of Meltdown earlier this week, when you earned your spot in the Final Four of the F1 Climaxxx. You must feel relieved after things went down to the wire?”
Chris Peacock: “Thank you, Todd. It feels great. It wouldn’t be me if it was plain sailing, would it? I’ve never done things the easy way before in the FWA so there was no point starting with the Climaxxx. I am very pleased to have made it through though. There was some very tough competition in Pool B.”
Todd Salum: “Things are only going to get tougher though, with your next opponent being the current FWA World Champion - AND X Champion - Alyster Black. He is also someone who you have bonded with quite well over the last few weeks. How do you feel about that match?”
There is not an immediate answer from Peacock this time, as he takes a moment to thing, striking his chin.
Chris Peacock: “I’ll be honest, Todd. I haven’t put much thought into a match with Alyster yet. I’ve been too busy doing a combination of celebrating my own advancement or helping him prepare for his match tonight against that asshat.”
Todd Salum: “Devin Golden? A man you had some… colourful… words for on Meltdown?”
Chris Peacock: “I meant every single one of them. To me, it wouldn’t be fair on Alyster to bring up our upcoming match when he is preparing for one of the biggest of his life. I know I wouldn’t want someone distracting me ahead of such an important match. So like I said, I haven’t thought about the Final Four yet.”
Todd nods his head, understanding. However he inhales and points his finger up, looking at Peacock quizzically.
Todd Salum: “There is something that I wanted to ask you, though, Chris. You told Devin Golden that were he to win tonight, you would be cashing in your Golden Opportunity and taking the FWA World Championship away from him. You cited the fact that he would be in no physical condition to defend the championship against you in that moment. The same rings true for Alyster Black, does it not?”
The question causes Peacock to freeze slightly and his eyes dart around the space as he takes in what the interviewer has just said to him. He snaps out of it, though.
Chris Peacock: “Come on, Todd… you know I wouldn’t do that to Alyster. Someone like Devin Golden deserves it. It happened to him last year, and it-”
Todd Salum: “Pardon the interruption, Chris. But you just said yourself that taking the easy route is not for Chris Peacock. Would cashing that opportunity in on someone after they’ve been through a match like that not be doing just that? Especially as you will not have even competed tonight, son.”
Once again, Peacock is left rather speechless. He is almost visibly searching for an answer to the questions that Todd is putting to him and trying to put the pieces together.
Todd Salum: “It really comes down to whether your hatred of Devin Golden is worth you compromising your beliefs, doesn’t it?”
Still very little from the Golden Opportunity holder. He opens his mouth but no words come out, as he is in clear thought. He begins to simply drift away from Salum…
Chris Peacock: “Yeah… I-I-I suppose it does…”
Chris turns his head and then leaves the interview area. Salum shakes his head and breathes out a heavy puff of air before lowering his mic and the scene fades away.
{VAMPIRE || VERSAILLES}[MEDIA=youtube]tQO5x8HCdD4[/MEDIA]
The lights in the arena dim for the opening of “Vampire.” The crowd gets to their feet to give a warm reaction for the FWA Television Champion. After about fifteen seconds, the camera zooms towards the entranceway as the lights start flashing different shades of purple, red, and pink. We see a masked woman, cape flowing behind her. Vampyra has arrived. Her hands are out with her elbows on her hips. Covering her regular mask for matches is a more elaborate entrance mask with horns. Hanging almost like a sash across her shoulder is the FWA Television Championship. Puffs of fire shoot up on both sides of the stage.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Our next match is a Pool A Contest and is scheduled for one-fall, with a thirty minute time limit! Introducing first... representing MAYHEM's YOKAI Death Squad.. from Osaka, Japan... weighing in at one-hundred ten pounds... she is the reigning FWA Television Champion... The Dark Huntress, VVVAAAAMMPYRA!"
Putting her hand down, the YOKAI Queen holds out three fingers to form an "M" then does a small throat slashing gesture with her pointer finger. She walks slowly down the ramp, once again putting her hands to her side. The fire on the stage continues to spark up occasionally, adding a glow in the arena. At the end of the ramp, Vampyra motions for the camera to come near here. She takes off her extra entrance mask, holding it in her hand. Vampyra shows a wicked smirk before doing another small throat slash and walking around the ring.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Vampyra continues to impress here in the FWA. Don’t let her record in Pool A fool you because she has gone toe to toe with both the current FWA Champion Alyster Black as well as former champion MvH and given them both all they could handle! Not to mention she’s the current FWA TV Champion… and she’s been here less than six months!”
Allen Price: “That’s quite the resume so far here in FWA, JL!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Unfortunately, a win here can’t advance her but she’s a fighter, Allen. This match is all about pride.”
Unclipping her cape, she slides onto the apron and hooks her leg on the top rope before hanging upside down, arms crossed like a bat, placing her extra mask next to her. After a few moments, she swings herself into the ring, grabbing her extra mask. goes up to the corner turnbuckles. Putting one foot on the top rope, she does does another "throat slash" with her finger, sticking out her tongue, before she puts down the MAYHEM "M." She jumps down as her theme music fades away. Going into her corner, she sits down, cross-legged, keeping calm as she awaits her opponent.
{COLD BLOODED KILLER || DAVE NOT DAVE}[MEDIA=youtube]fB8wQBZvPOo[/MEDIA]
The crowd boos as Kayden Knox emerges from the back wearing ripped jeans and his old school Chuck Taylors. He stops on the stage to take in the crowds reaction, remaining mostly emotionless but does flash a slight smirk.
Natalie Rosenberg: "AND her opponent, from Sin City, Las Vegas... weighing in at one-hundred eighty-five pounds... The Sin City Serpent... KKKKKAAAYYYDEN KNOX!"
Allen Price: “You don’t seem to thrilled to be having to call this match, JL”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Very astute of you, Allen. I would rather be just about anywhere else right now, not after what happened on the last episode of Fallout. Kayden Knox is a snake that needs his head cut off!”
Allen Price: “Allow me to catch up any viewers that might not realize but last time on Fallout, Kayden Knox stabbed a knife in the back of his fellow last surviving member of Executive Excellence, Gabrielle Montgomery. His own tag team partner!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He may have permanently put Gabrielle out of action too… I hope he gets what’s coming to him!”
Allen Price: “Boy, tell us how you really feel, JL! And because of Gabrielle’s injury, Kayden now inherits her positioning in the F1 Climaxxx… which could be a big deal here for him… and plus, a win over a current FWA champion would certainly be another big momentum builder for Knox.”
Kayden slowly makes his way down the aisle, ignoring the fans as he makes his way up the ring steps and steps onto the apron. He locks eyes with Vampyra before stepping into the ring and the match is about ready to get under way.
Vampyra and Kayden Knox meet in the center of the ring as the bell rings. They move in for a collar and elbow lock up, but Vampyra evades Knox with a go behind and instead locks her opponent in a waistlock. However, Knox is able to overpower Vampyra, breaking free from her and trading places with Vampyra, now holding her in a waistlock. She struggles against the grips of her captor, attempting a back elbow to break it up but Knox avoids the blow and then tosses her back looking for a German Suplex, but Vampyra flips over and lands on her feet! Knox turns around and Vampyra strikes with a barrage of forearm and elbow strikes.
Having rocked Knox back with her strikes, The Dark Huntress follows up by attempting an Irish Whip, but Knox reverses it! Vampyra bounces off the ropes and comes back, sliding under the legs of Knox! Knox turns back around and is caught with a Roundhouse Kick to the chest! Knox falls backwards into the corner. Vampyra charges in with a handspring back elbow into the corner, sending Knox down into a seated position in the corner before The Huntress backs up and charges back in with a running double knee strike!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s a hot start for Vampyra! It’s clear she doesn’t care that she doesn’t have a shot at the Semi-Finals! She doesn’t want to leave the Climaxxx winless! Take it to him”
Vampyra backs up and plays to the crowd by holding up her fingers in the “M” as Knox pulls himself up using the ring ropes. The masked wrestler rushes back in, springboarding into the adjacent ropes… but KNOX SHOVES HER off the ropes and sends her flying out of the ring and she collides with the safety railing!
As Vampyra pulls herself up using the railing, Knox tightrope walks the top rope… MOONSAULT TO THE OUTSIDE connects to Vampyra!
With the match gone to the outside, Knox takes advantage and begins choking his masked opponent with one of the camera cords at ringside. Ignoring the warnings from the referee, Knox snapmares Vampyra using the camera cord and then continues to pull back on the cord around her throat on the ground.
Allen Price: “Kayden is definitely showing no mercy to Vampyra outside the ring!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Come on ref - disqualify him!”
Knox finally releases the choke just as it looks like the referee is about to call for the bell, and he gives her a boot right to the back of the neck to send her down to the floor. The fans at ringside let Knox have it as he pulls her back up by her own mask and then slams her into the apron. Kayden takes a moment to argue with a fan at ringside which allows Vampyra to start pulling herself up using the ring ropes. But Knox climbs back up the ring steps… he jumps onto the ropes and comes back down with a DDT onto the ring apron!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Ugh! Vampyra’s head just bounced off the apron!”
Allen Price: “That’s the hardest part of the ring, JL!”
Knox rolls Vampyra under the ropes back into the ring before climbing in and making the cover.
ONE! TWO! KICKOUT!
After the nearfall, Knox continues to control the offense as he leans in and delivers some punches to the fallen Huntress. He then picks her back up as the fans begin trying to rally behind Vampyra with a VAM-PY-RA chant. Knox yells out for the crowd to shut up before bringing her over to the corner and sitting her up on the top turnbuckle. He delivers a couple blows to Vampyra’s midsection before climbing up onto the turnbuckles with her…
But Vampyra begins to fight back! They exchange blows on the turnbuckles but its The Huntress getting the upperhand and she shoves him back off the top! Knox hits the canvas but rolls back to his feet…
DIVING HURRICANRANA to Knox! Vampyra with the pin!
ONE! TWO! KICKOUT!
Allen Price: “Vampyra is right back in this one now!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “She only gets a two count but more importantly, the tables may be turning here in her favor!”
Knox begins to pull himself up as Vampyra comes in with an elbow strike, but he manages to block it and scores a right hand of his own to Vampyra… but Vampyra fires back with a forearm! Back and forth they go - the fans giving a BOO and a YAY for Knox and Vampyra with each strike respectively until its Vampyra who gets a flurry of offense with forearm after forearm to have him staggered and then takes him down with a jumping bicycle knee!
Standing Moonsault to Knox and Vamyra gets another pinfall attempt!
ONE! TWO! TH - KICKOUT!
The Huntress isn’t deterred by the nearfall as she keeps on it, grabbing Knox by the arm as he is getting up and its an Irish Whip into the ropes. Knox comes back and it’s a leap frog from Vampyra as Knox bounces off the opposite ropes now. He comes back with a lariat attempt, but Vampyra ducks it! She bounces off the ropes herself as Knox hits the ropes a third time and she connects with a running calf-kick!
She looks to follow it up with a springboard moonsault, but Knox gets his knees up right into the ribs of Vampyra! Knox makes his way back to his feet, hitting Vamp with a jumping high knee to take her back down just as she was getting back to her feet.
After taking Vampyra back down to the mat with a leg hook reverse STO, Knox heads to the top turnbuckle… SWANTON BOMB… but Vampyra rolls out of the way and Knox hits nothing but canvas!
Allen Price: “Kayden just crashed and burned!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Happy to see it, Allen! Now let’s see if Vampyra can take advantage.”
Both competitors are slow to recover after the miss from Knox, but its Vampyra up first as Knox gets up to his knees. She delivers a few stiff kicks right to his chest before striking with a superkick to the kneeling Knox! Vamp goes for the pin.
ON! TWO! THR - Shoulder up!
Knox rolls to his knees and Vampyra quickly goes for another pinfall as she grabs him by the arm and rolls him up in a Magistral Cradle!
ONE! TWO! THRE - Kickout!
Both competitors roll back to their feet and it’s Knox striking first, swinging a right hand at Vampyra, but she ducks into a go-behind, waistlock and a Bridging German Suplex!
ONE! TWO! Kickout!
Allen Price: “I suppose we should give credit to Kayden for continuing to kick out of these fast and furious pinning situations from Vampyra!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, no thanks.”
Knox slowly gets to his feet as Vampyra runs to the opposite ropes and charges back in looking for a running dropkick… but Knox manages to move out of the way! Vampyra drops to the canvas but quickly rolls back to her feet, but Knox sneaks up behind her as he keap up and connects with The Knox Out! Knox rolls Vamp over onto her back and hooks a leg for the pin.
ONE! TWO! THREE! NO! Vampyra with the shoulder up!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “So close but luckily Vampyra gets her shoulder up just in time!”
Allen Price: “Maybe so, JL… but Kayden is back up and I think he's measuring her up… for the Executive Execution!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He shouldn’t be allowed to use that name anymore!”
Kayden licks his lips as he watches Vampyra slowly pulling herself up to her knees… he bounces off the ropes and heads in for the double foot curb stomp known as the Executive Execution….
But Vampyra dodges it! Vampyra rushes in with the DEATH-SPIKE spiking hurricanrana driver! A fired up Vampyra is quickly back up to her feet, once again playing to the crowd with the “M” motion with her fingers as a stunned Knox is struggling up to his knees. Vampyra bounces off the ropes…
THE BITE!
Vampyra hooks the leg.
ONE! TWO! THREEEEEE-NO! Knox once again kicks out!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Dammit! I thought she had him!”
Allen Price: “Not quite but Vampyra’s heading up top now!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hopefully it’s to end this with her Nightfall twisting frog splash…”
Vampyra slowly makes her ascent to the top turnbuckle, but before she can get back up… Knox is back to his feet and rushes over, shoving Vampyra off the turnbuckles and onto the apron… BUT Vampyra lands on her feet! And she springboards into the ring with a crossbody!
BUT KNOX ROLLS THROUGH!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
NO! Vampyra kicks out!
Both competitors roll back to their feet but its Knox striking first with the PEACE OF MIND! Kayden slowly gets back to his feet first, and waits as Vampyra begins to get up… and once she’s up to her knees, he bounces off the ropes and drops her back down with the Order 66!
Having laid Vampyra back out, Knox grabs her by the foot and begins to pull her towards the corner. The crowd boos as he makes his climb up to the top turnbuckle…
Allen Price: “Vampyra is in trouble here! Looks like the Seventh Seal is coming.”
Knox spins off the top turnbuckle with the SEVENTH SEAL.
KNEES UP!
This time it’s Vampyra getting her knees up and Knox’s back bends across them! Knox rolls over, clutching his back as both competitors are down briefly. Vampyra slowly begins to pull herself up as Knox reaches up for the ropes. He begins to use the ropes to help himself recover… pulling himself up to the middle ropes, leaning against them…
VAMPYRA RUSHES IN WITH THE MOONLIGHT KICK!
Knox falls backwards into the ring, staggering across the mat before dropping down near the center of the ring! Vampyra, now out on the apron after delivering the move, runs the apron and climbs to the top…
NIGHTFALL!
She connects it! She hooks the leg!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
{RESULT}Winner: Vampyra by pinfall at 12:25.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The winner of the match, Vampyra!”
Vampyra climbs to her feet, falling back into the ropes and lifting up her arms in celebration as the crowd cheers showing their support of the Dark Huntress.
Allen Price: “What a win for Vampyra! She gets to hold her head high coming out of the F1 with a win! Well earned!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, yeah… but more importantly - Kayden Knox loses! Oh I’m so happy I got to call this match after all, Allen!”
Allen Price: “Haha… try to contain yourself!”
Vampyra rolls out of the ring, continuing to celebrate as she takes her WCW Television Championship and holds it up high. Meanwhile, Knox begins to stir in the ring, shaking his head as he realizes he just came up short in this one.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “And with that loss by Knox… it all comes down to Michelle van Horowitz vs. Tommy Bedlam for the second spot in the Climaxxx semifinals!”
Allen Price: “Another tough loss for Kayden Knox. Kayden's mind did not seem to be in that match at all.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “As it shouldn't be Allen; We all saw what he did last week to his own partner and broke what was left of Executive Excellence. When he left the ring he couldn't even look anyone in the eye. Gabrielle trusted him, all of us did.”
Allen Price: “Partner, I think you are letting this cut close to home.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That's because Kayden's here while Gabrielle is in the hospital and they are working on her neck. He could of paralyzed her.”
Kayden Knox sits in the ring, his head held down. He is given a microphone, and for a few seconds doesn't say a word. He is catching his breath. He tries to speak but nothing comes out. When he does speak you hear him tremble and his voice break.
Kayden Knox: “Gabrielle, I am so sorry, I didn't have a choice. You were someone when we met last year that would go on to change my life. You did make me a better man, as much as a better man I wanted to be… you didn't make me a good man. I was enticed when you and I got together as a team. You could see the desire in our eyes. That desire evolved into an addiction of sorts for money, power and fame.”
Kayden stands back up and paces back and forth in the ring.
Kayden Knox: “We all came together for Executive Excellence; now everyone here knows the story. They saw how it played out. Danny, Gabi, and I when we got together the three of us we knew that Rupert Watkins thought he was the puppeteer but in reality we were the ones pulling the strings. That was at least, what I thought. The truth is however, I got the taste of the good life and wasn't aware of my surroundings and in the end it cost me everything it was just a matter of when not if it was going to happen.What do I mean?”
He pauses again and starts back up after shaking his head to the side.
Kayden Knox: “After Back In Business, when our group came together we were under the Fallout Incorporated banner, We each signed contracts to Fallout.”
The crowd boos the unfavourable trip down memory lane.
Kayden Knox: “These contracts seemed pretty standard to everyone they said. I didn't even give it a second glance. I should have. I didn't understand that they all were the same except for one.
Mine.
You see, what I failed to realise is that when I signed my contract with Fallout I sold my soul to the devil because in the fine print of my own contract it says that it's now owned by someone else. I do not know who it is. The letter I received came with a set amount of instructions with the warning that if I don't follow these instructions, then per my contract they can and will pull me from FWA television and would sue me for breaching my contract. Trust me when I say I didn't...”
Kayden's microphone goes off as a man starts to walk down to the ring. He is wearing a two piece suit and is older he gets to the ring ropes and waits for Kayden to hold open the ropes so that he can enter. He grabs a microphone and starts to speak towards Kayden talking down to him.
???: “Mr. Knox, you know that this is not what we discussed. My client said you could speak on the attack not on anything else. The cat is out of the bag now and my client and well, they are not pleased.”
He turns his attention to the crowd.
???: “I am so sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Maxwell Lester, and I am a lawyer who represents the individual that owns Mr. Knox's contract. So I have a cease and desist order right here.”
Maxwell Lester pulls the letter from his jacket and shows it to the crowd.
Maxwell Lester: “Yes it's very true that certain requirements that my client sees fit that Mr. Knox will obey. So my client wanted Ms. Montgomery out of the picture… so it was done. You see, my client wanted to put the final nail in the coffin that was Executive Excellence. That's not the only thing my client wants, though, and in due time all the cards will be on the table, but for right now they will be held close to our chests. You see, my client tells Mr. Knox to jump what will your response be?”
Kayden looks pissed off and reluctantly answers.
Kayden Knox: “How high?”
Maxwell Lester: “Very good, my client tells you to walk out of this arena right now, get into a van and drive. What will you ask?”
Kayden Knox: “Where to?”
Maxwell Lester: “If my client tells you to go to the hospital that Ms. Montgomery is at and Curb Stomp her head over and over. What will you do?”
Kayden looks on and has another livid look on his face as he grabs Lester by the jacket.
Maxwell Lester: “What will you do Kayden?”
Kayden lets go and simmers down. He answers.
Kayden Knox: “Drive her head into the ground.”
Maxwell Lester: “Very good, Mr. Knox. There is more to be done, this is only the beginning and everyone here knows the truth now, Kayden. My client will reveal themselves when the time is right. That being said, for now the FWA roster and fans should take a look at this beautiful face because you will be seeing a lot more of it.”
He laughs and tells Kayden to exit the ring and hold down the rope as they leave ringside.
Allen Price: “Kayden Knox’s contract isn’t owned by the FWA? Who owns it then? Did you know anything about this, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I have as many questions as you do, Price. However, one thing that I do know is that I’m glad to see that someone has this bastard by the balls after what he did.”
Before returning to the in-ring action, cameras shift backstage to look at "The Rotten Gold" Devin Golden, the man challenging Alyster Black for the FWA World Championship in a Winter Wasteland match in the main event. It'll be a Taipei death triple cage encounter.
While it sounds daunting and is truly scary, Golden is unfazed. His wide grin beneath the black Gangs of New York-style top hat accompanies four Mardi Gras beads – one each of gold, purple, green, and blue – plus the black walking cane he does not need and has never needed since introducing it following Meltdown X: The Bounty.
There is no interviewer. No one else with Golden, who twirls the cane in his right hand and positions his top hat with his left hand.
Rather than the usual elongated talking, Golden does something more fitting to stretch out vowels: He sings. It isn't good, but it also isn't bad!
Devin Golden: "Tooooniiiiight … is the niiiiight. It's a beauuuuuuuutifuuuuul niiiiiiiiiiight."
Golden's singing gets a cheer from the crowd as he chuckles creepily and lets out a reserved,
Devin Golden: "Ha-Haaaaaaaaah!"
The crowd responds with it's own "Ha-Haaaah!"
Devin Golden: "Tonight has the feeeeeeeling … of a funeral. And … in ways … it is one.
But not a funeral of my life. No no nooooooo. A funeral … maaaaaybe … of my life … here. A funeral of my coma … of my dream. Of my time … in … OUR … dreeeeeam."
Or … a funeral of Alyster Bbbbbbbbblaaaaaack's reign … as THE BEST."
Golden pauses as he stops twirling the cane and plants it into the floor.
Devin Golden: "We maaaaade this place. From the cooooold of our neurons and the heeeeeeat of our deepest desires. Do you want sex? Do you want drugs? Do you want … rock n roooooooooll?!?!
Well … we have it all. I've seen it all. Everything. Death and life and all the moments in the middle. But most of all … this world we made … is done in a square of ropes and padding. It is a square of athleticism and fortitude. Of energy and strength.
We are a world of wrestling. We are a world of make-believe wrestlers living our a fantasy or enjoying an escape or whatever other reasons you can … concooooooct.
Chriiiiiiiistopher Peeeeeeeacock … may not want to accept it. Aaaaaaaalyster Blllllllllack may not want to accept it. But it is the truuuuuth. A truth that comes for everyone, as it has for many before todaaaaaay.
And I am just glad … whether it is reciprocated or not … that if tonight is my funeral … it will be with Aaaaalyster Bllllllllllack! No one can define me in the last three years mooooooore … than the masked mad with a scar over his heaaaaaart."
Golden leans against the cane for a moment. The crowd cheers at the mention of the glass scarring.
Devin Golden: "But no matter … as this maaaaay beeee … the very laaaaast time I get to speeeeeak … directly … to you all. One last tiiiiiime … to spin my wheeeeeel … as ooooonly I … a Goooold of Rot … and a Goooold of One … can doooooo.
So graaaaant an old man his one dyyyyyyying wish and let me spare a threaaaaad.
You have allowed me to annoy you and madden you and frustrate you … and hopefully captivate you in a way … for fourteeeeeeeeeeeeen yeeeeeeeeeears.
And for that … thank you. Whether it ends tonight in three cages and a pile of glass or … some ooooooother time …
I am grateful for you all welcoming me back … time and time again … to your world."
Golden does a curtsey in front of the camera and tips his top hat in acknowledgement.
Devin Golden: "But hey!!! Tonight does not have to be saaaaaaad, oh no no NOOOO! If you did not know … or have not heaaaaaard … I'm from …
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIAAAANA!
And in New Orleans, a funeral … is a cause … for celebraaaaaaaaatiooooon!
A funeral … is a paaaaaarty!"
Golden points the walking cane directly at the camera and smiles the biggest, cheesiest, circus ring leader-like grin he can muster.
Devin Golden: "So tonight …
Let's throw a party."
Golden winks at the camera and removes the four Mardi Gras bead necklaces from around his neck. He lightly tosses them at the camera, and right before impact, the scene goes to black.
The crowd cheers, which only gets louder when one last sound is heard in the darkness.
Devin Golden: "HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
{RAT IN MI KITCHEN || UB40}[MEDIA=youtube]jausD8qsnKU[/MEDIA]
The familiar collective groan that normally accompanies this entrance is even more ferocious than usual as the Turkish crowd seem less than appreciative to see Ratin Mikichin make his entrance from the back, appalled as any other crowd to see him wearing nothing but a mankini, this one a stained silver number. He raises the roof on his way to the ring and surprisingly some of the fans join in with him, albeit in a mocking manner.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The following contest is scheduled for one fall, with a sixty mi-”
The camera cuts to Natalie checking the card that she is holding and she looks incredulously at referee Joey Ortiz, who shrugs his shoulders.
Natalie Rosenberg: “They’ve given these two siixty minutes? Fine… introducing first, Ratin Mikichin.”
Allen Price: “Sticking around for this one, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I might as well. Not if it gets close to going the distance, but I don’t think there’ll be any way out of this so I might as well at least try to embrace it.”
Allen Price: “Well, for those not caught up, Ratin Mikichin and Steve the Techno Vampire are still stuck in a deadlock in their ongoing series of matches. This rivalry even spilled over into nGw, Jean-Luc!”
Ratin settles in the ring and he exchanges some heated words with some members of the crowd before brushing them off.
{VAMPIRES ARE ALIVE || DJ BOBO}[MEDIA=youtube]0ydRhwnwk-s[/MEDIA]
Jean-Luc Watkins: “What does it say when this is the person to get behind in these matches?”
Whilst there is nothing but utter contempt for Ratin from the crowd here in Istanbul, they seem much more receptive to Steve the Techno Vampire. Steve bobs his head up and down to his music as he rushes out from the back, the majority of his body masqueraded by his cape.
Natalie Rosenberg: “His opponent… Steve the Techno Vampire!”
Allen Price: “I think the answer is pretty simple, Jean-Luc. It is because Steve is helping the FWA fans believe in a more magical world! VAMPIRES ARE ALIIIIIVEEE!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Nope. You know what? I tried. I actually tried this week, Price. Your singing was the final straw.”
The familiar clunk of a headset is heard as Jean-Luc commences his fortnightly five minute phone break, whilst Steve rolls into the ring under the bottom rope. He opens his cape with outstretched arms and a folly of fake bats drop to the mat. Steve does not get the chance to savour the reception from the crowd though as Ratin blindsides him from behind! Joey Ortiz - frustrated that he has been relegated to this - hastily calls for the bell!
The crowd are less than pleased to see Ratin attack Steve from behind and they shower him with boos and abuse as he stomps down on Steve’s back whilst Ortiz uses his foot to remove the bats from the ring. In one of the biggest shows of aggression in any of these matches, Ratin drops a few knees down on the back of Steve’s head and then flips him over onto his back and mounts him (poor Steve) and grabs him by the throat and begins to throttle him! Steve has trouble breathing temporarily, but gets his hand around the bottom rope and this causes Ortiz to come over and break things up by pulling Ratin away.
Allen Price: “Well, it was obvious that after the tag team loss on Fallout 024 that there has been an escalation in tension between these two. A strong start from Ratin Mikichin.”
As Ratin attempts to push past Ortiz, the referee makes his presence known by holding the hairy Kazakh at bay with ease. This allows Steve to get back up and the vampire leaps towards them and connects with a flying punch to Ratin’s face over the referee’s shoulder. Ortiz himself was almost caught in the crossfire and he hands out a warning to Steve as well. Steve ignores it and brushes past the official as Ratin approaches him and Steve drops a shoulder to elevate Ratin over his head with a Back Body Drop! Ratin lands rough and Steve gets down and goes for the cover.
ONE… TWO… THR-NO!!!
Ratin just gets a shoulder up to the dismay of everyone, and Steve is left bewildered and he seems to take issue with the count and protests his case to Ortiz, who is having none of it. However, Steve is unwilling to let the issue go and fails to notice Ratin rising to his feet behind him and Ratin charges in and rushes Steve into Ortiz and into the corner!
Allen Price: “Joey Ortiz caught in the crossfire there! What could happen next? Oh… he’s okay…”
Ortiz brushes off being bumped into the corner and seems incredibly annoyed about the entire situation that he has been placed in. Both Steve and Ratin seem apologetic for their actions but the angered referee shakes his head… AND RUNS THROUGH BOTH OF THEM WITH A DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE!! The crowd are shocked as Ortiz then leaves the ring and starts walking up the ramp… and this match is over just like that.
{RESULT}Winner: No Contest at 2:02.
There is some confusion as Ortiz is shown stomping up the ramp away from the ring. Both Ratin and Steve are down in the ring, holding the back of their heads after the impact they took.
Allen Price: “I don’t think anyone saw this coming… Joey Ortiz has walked out of this match and as a result, things are still not resolved between these two! What is going to happen next?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Did I miss anything?”
{YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME || RANDY NEWMAN}[MEDIA=youtube]0hG-2tQtdlE[/MEDIA]
The crowd comes to their feet as "Your New Best Friend" Jeremy Best walks out from the back wearing a light blue collared shirt with khaki pants. Jeremy looks a little more disheveled than his usual polished look, including a growing peach fuzz on his face.
Allen Price: "Hey! Jeremy Best is here! What a pleasant little surprise. We haven't seen him in the ring much lately so I know the fans are excited to see him.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Yes, we've mostly seen Jeremy backstage as we've seen the drama unfold between him and his Buddy System tag partner, Bryan Baxter. They've had some wrestling ethics disagreements, I guess you could say.
Jeremy forces a smile as he walks down to the ring, though it's clearly not the normal, genuine smile he would give on an entrance. But he does wave to the fans before he climbs into the ring and takes the microphone.
Jeremy Best: "I feel like... I owe some people some apologies..."
Jeremy pauses as some of the fans in attendance boo at the thought that Jeremy needed to apologize for anything.
Jeremy Best: "I haven't been in this ring much the past few months. So first and foremost... all the fans... all the Besties out there... I feel like I owe you an apology. At Lights Out... I put all my heart and soul into the Golden Opportunity match. I dedicated my efforts to my good friend Krash. I wanted to win it for him. I wanted to be able to win the Golden Opportunity and then use my title shot to face the World Champion at his memorial Pay-Per-View, Back in Town. Could you imagine that? It could've been Jeremy Best versus Alyster Black as the Krash Memorial PPV. His two very best friends battling it out for the ultimate prize in the FWA."
"But... I failed. I let everyone down. And since then, I've been nursing some injuries and just haven't been in the right headspace. So I'm sorry to my fans for just not giving it my best lately."
"And to my friend XYZ... I owe you an apology. I wasn't in my best health or my best state of mind when I agreed to help you out against The Undisputed Alliance. We should've won that match... but once again, I let you down. And for that... I apologize."
"My newest friend, Lizzie Rose... I think I owe you an apology too. I got you mixed up in all this drama between me and Bryan... and it has not only cost you the North American Championship but also a spot in the F1 Semi Finals. So again... I apolog...
{ANIMALS || NICKELBACK}[MEDIA=youtube]DLYwwtPA49w[/MEDIA]
Jeremy is interrupted by the sound of his own tag partner's music. The North American Champion, Big Bryan Baxter, walks out from the back with a much heavier pace than usual. His face shows some aggrivation as he storms out and is followed by a frantic Mr. Bill Scorpane, who is trying to keep up the best he can with his large, unathletic, and older frame. Baxter climbs into the ring.
Jeremy Best: "Bryan... I probably owe you an apology too. I have been so distant to you in a time where you needed me most. It's allowed you to have so much negative influence and..."
Bryan Baxter: "That's enough, Jeremy! I'm tired of it! I'm tired of the apologies! Jeremy - YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR! STOP IT!"
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan, let's go... he doesn't want anything to do with us anymore. He's made his choice."
Bryan Baxter: "No, let me say my piece. You've been talkin' for me enough. People keep dictactin' what's best for me my WHOLE career... Hell, my WHOLE life. I got somethin' to say and I wanna say it."
Bryan's tone causes even Mr. Scorpane to step back. He holds up his arm and indicates that the floor is his.
Bryan Baxter: "This sad sack shit has to stop, Jeremy. You say you don't like what you've seen from me lately? Well I don't like what I've seen from you. THIS AIN'T YOU! Jeremy Best doesn't DO sad. You don't throw yourself pity parties and ever since Lights Out - THAT'S ALL IT'S BEEN. Three months ago... you were mere moments away from having yourself the Golden Opportunity briefcase. You were in the picture of the FWA Championship. Now? You're barely wrestling! You're playing secondary character to people like XYZ and Lizzie Rose!"
"Meanwhile, in the past three months - my stock is SKYROCKETING! Not only am I undefeated in the F1 but I'm undefeated in singles competition here in FWA! But I don't want to be at the top of FWA by myself. I want to be at the top of the FWA with my friend. I want us BOTH getting title shots - I want us BOTH as champions. Singles. Tag. All of 'em."
Jeremy Best: "Bryan... it's not about the titles for me and you know that..."
Bryan Baxter: "Really? You came into this business with no desire to win?"
Jeremy Best: "No... it's not that... you know that... but..."
Bryan Baxter: "BUT NOTHING! You want to make friends? That's fine! But you wouldn't have put your BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS into this business if you didn't want to win, too. And I've wrestled against you in the past when title shots have been on the line - I've seen you put your body on the line in the Mile High Massacre... inside the Chamber for GO... you don't do that shit if you don't WANT to get to the top."
"I've been trying for the past three months to earn your trust back. You want me to be a better person. You want me to win the right way. You want me to be something YOU WANT ME TO BE. And for MONTHS, I've TRIED TO BE the person you wanted me to be... but Jeremy... that would be a LIE. And you know much you don't like me to lie, right?"
Jeremy bites his lip but nods his head in agreement.
Bryan Baxter: "But I'm the same guy you've been friends with for years. You've always known we did things different. BUT THAT'S OKAY! That's the great thing about this world... we're not all cookie cutter cutouts of one another. And that's what has made our friendship work. You think I want to hang out with a piece of shit like me all the time? We'd kill each other within the hour. But... somehow... some way... we've managed to make it work."
"Now here's the thing... I told you I would do anything to make it up to you right? And you've stated what it would take... so you know what, Jeremy, I'm going to do just that."
Having checked out for most of the conversation, Mr. Scorpane suddenly is alerted by BBB's words and scurries over.
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan... no - we didn't talk about this!"
Bryan Baxter: "You want me to give Lizzie Rose a rematch?"
Mr. Scorpane: "NO! Stop this right now!"
Bryan Baxter: "DO YOU PEOPLE WANT LIZZIE ROSE TO GET A REMATCH?"
The crowd roars indicating that they in fact, did want that.
Mr. Scorpane: "Bryan, as your agent I order you to not do this. Think about the F1!"
Bryan Baxter: "Look, I may or may not make it to the F1 finals. I have a really big match coming up at the Final Four that will determine that... but I don't give a damn. I'll pull double duty if I have to! Because at BACK IN TOWN... I WILL GIVE LIZZIE ROSE HER REMATCH! For the FWA North American Title!"
The crowd once again roars in approval. Jeremy actually begins to smile while Mr. Scorpane is losing his shit behind them.
Bryan Baxter: "And Jeremy... I know what you want from me. I know you want me to do it the right way... or, should I say... YOUR way... but I've done my part. I've given you what you wanted. At Back in Town... I will win again and I will do it MY way."
Baxter drops the microphone at Jeremy's feet as he turns to leave. "Animals" begins to play on the speakers again as the angered Mr. Scorpane follows Baxter out of the ring, barking in his ear while Baxter ignores him up the aisle.
Allen Price: "How about that, JL? Sounds like we have ourselves a North American Championship match at Back in Town!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It sure seems that way, Allen. Last time it took everything and the kitchen sink for Baxter to take the North American Championship from Lizzie Rose. What will it take to keep her from getting that title back?"
Jeremy watches them leave from in the ring, a much happier Jeremy than when the segment started as we headed to break.
{JOPPING || SUPER M}[MEDIA=youtube]pAnK1y7qjuE[/MEDIA]
The theme song hits and there's a considerable amount of support for Jin-ho from the Istanbul crowd.
Allen Price: “Wow! I didn’t think even those people would cheer for this guy that hard. Is this Korean pop music really that popular?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I really want to know the coordinates of the rock you’re living under Allen because I’d rather not know about K-Pop as well.”
Allen Price: “I think it’s catchy! Maybe I’ll get my own K-Pop Warrior someday.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hopefully it ends the same way it did with your Disco Warrior.”
The main vocalist of the CONpro, Jin-ho, appears on the stage and does a little dance routine for the fans to enjoy.
Natalie Rosenberg: "From JB Entertainment, he is the leader of the K-Pop group CONpro ... JIN-HO!”
The camera cuts to show some CONpro fans in the stands, most of them being girls, most of those girls wearing headscarves.
Allen Price: “Where are the other K-Pop guys we have? What were they called? PONI BOI? I thought they were supposed to be in the same group or something like that.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Rumours persist that the PONI BOI duo of CONpro have been called up to do compulsory military service in South Korea but my sources tell me that they haven’t reported back to the country yet.”
Allen Price: “You have sources in South Korean miltary complex?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “There’s no table that I don’t have a seat in, Allen.”
Jin-ho high fives some fans as he walks in the ramp and then eventually enters the ring, giving his fans another treat with a closing dance routine before proceeding to wait for his opponent and fellow musician. Then the lights go out.
{EDGE || REZZ}[MEDIA=youtube]2oIAQSUt9mo[/MEDIA]
Her theme song plays on a medium volume for a few seconds while the only source of light in the arena remains from Luna Piper’s iconic LED goggles.
Luna Piper: “Istanbul! Are you ready … to go under?”
A beat drop is followed by an unusually long silence. The silence is long enough for a fan to audibly shout “don’t bother mate we’ve already been under a dictatorship for 20 years”.
Allen Price: “I don’t think we’re going to hear from that fan any time soon.”
{ CIMBOM GALATASARAY (STUDIYO) || GALATASARAY MARSLARI}[MEDIA=youtube]jGXZ3cbZg7o[/MEDIA]
The music might be very unfamiliar to a FWA audience but the crowd at Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium immediately recognizes the song and a heavy wave of boo’s cover Kadıköy instantly!
Allen Price: “Whoa, I know Luna isn’t the most pleasant of people we have around FWA but what’s with that reaction! What is with this yellow and red shirt she’s wearing?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Do I need to spell everything out for you, Allen? We’re in the home stadium of Fenerbahçe, one of the Turkey’s biggest football clubs. Obviously the fans won’t like someone playing the music and wearing the jersey of their historic rivals Galatasaray, you doofus.”
Allen Price: “Football? Football is that popular in Turkey? Handegg my ass! Take that, soccer nerds!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Allen, you are so dense that light bends around you.”
Luna has a shit-eating grin on her face as she takes in the boos, almost taunting the fans to do more. She’s certainly not making security’s job today any easier.
Natalie Rosenberg: "From Stepford, Connecticut, she is 'TheTranceQueen' ... LUNA PIPER!”
She walks to the ring and shows 3 fingers to every fan she can manage to, referring to Fenerbahçe’s recent home defeat to Galatasaray by 3-0.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “This might get real ugly.”
Luna finally gets in the ring and after giving a condescending look to her opponent, turns to the fans again, takes off the Galatasaray jersey to reveal her usual ring top under it. She then proceeds to show the jersey to the fans like Mauro Icardi after he scored the third goal in the aforementioned match. Boo’s continue to rain harder on TheTranceQueen. She kisses the jersey and then hands it to a personnel before doing her warm-up for her match.
The match begins after the ringing of the bell and our competitors immediately go for a lock-up … well, more like Jin-ho goes for it but Luna refuses to engage, just smiling at his direction, certainly earning no love in the process. Then they go for another one, only for Luna to fake-out again. But before she can strut about it, Jin-ho attacks her from behind, throwing forearm smashes into her back repeatedly. Luna gets away by holding the ropes and clinging onto them for dear life. The referee has to break up the two of them and this only earns more boos for Luna, who turns her back on Jin-ho and throws more hand gestures at the fans. The Korean sensation uses this as an opportunity to run and nail her with a Dropkick and this sends her over the top rope and outside of the ring!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Great execution by Jin-ho as he manages to send the battle royale enthusiast Luna Piper over the top just like that!”
Allen Price: “Too bad this is a singles match.”
After pulling a sick dance move and getting cheered for it, Jin-ho runs the ropes and nails Luna with a Suicide Dive outside of the ring! Both musicians are down outside! The referee starts counting for a double count-out but Jin-ho gets up first before he reaches any significant number. He grabs Luna by her wrist and prepares to throw her back into the ring but Luna stands her ground and whips Jin-ho into the barricade instead. Luna then grabs her opponent and then throws him to the steel steps! The Korean’s face collides with the steps and he’s down once more. Luna enters the ring, while the referee’s count who had been stopped due to the action outside resumes from where it was left off.
5…
6…
The fans are chanting for Jin-ho to get up. They bang their hands on the barricade to support the K-Pop star. Luna is just sitting in the ring and pretending to check her clock.
7…
No signs of life from Jin-ho…
8….
Until now, he’s slowly getting up! Will he beat the count?
9…
And he does! He’s in the ring again with great amount of cheers thrown his way.
He tries to get up but Luna traps his head under her arm and throws rapid knees at his chest before nailing him down with a DDT. She goes for the cover immediately.
ONE… TWO-NO!
No! Jin-ho kicks out!
Luna is definitely not amused as she gets up, gets the leader of CONpro to his feet before whipping him into the ropes and then nailing him with her Dropkick, reaching insane elevation to kick Jin-ho’s face down!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s easy to do so because of her music and her antics, but people really forget that Luna Piper is an insane athlete.”
Her opponent lies in the ground and Piper takes a glance to the sky, it’s fairly obvious where she wants to take this fight to. She climbs the top rope, flashing a taunt to the crowd who boo her, signaling for the Lunasault! Then she goes for it …
But Jin-ho gets his knees up! And then immediately pulls Luna for a Small Package! The referee counts as the fans explode!
ONE… TWO-NO
Luna kicks out! She tries to get back on her feet and wobbles for a while, which is enough for Jin-ho to nail her with a Discus Lariat! Luna is down and Jin-ho makes a run for the corner, preparing for his own finisher, Jopping!
Allen Price: “Jopping? What does that mean?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s a combination of jumping and popping, according to their song anyway. It’s a dumb name, but it’s a smooth Superman Punch that gets the job done.”
Luna gets up and Jin-ho makes another run, jumping and popping the punch … but Luna ducks it by pulling a bridge! She’s back up on her feet again and once Jin-ho turns back to face her, TheTranceQueen nails him with a Roundhouse Kick and the CONpro member goes down once again! This time, Luna chooses to waste no time before climbing the ropes this time. Piper goes for the Lunasault again .. and it’s successful this time! She hooks both legs and the referee makes his count.
ONE… TWO…. THREE!!!
{RESULT}Winner: Luna Piper by pin fall at 5:12.
Allen Price: “After a fast-paced match filled with drama, Luna Piper gets the win, her first win in what feels like forever, really.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Could’ve had it easier if she focused less on showboating and more on getting the job done … but I guess that’s TheTranceQueen for you.”
Allen Price: “How do you think this win will affect her standings within FWA, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Hard to say, really. Jin-ho, as exciting as he is, is still an amateur in this sport. My South Korean military sources tell me he’s going to be called up for the military himself soon so this might be the last time we’re seeing Jin-ho in FWA.”
We focus back in the ring, Jin-ho isn’t in the ring and there’s only Luna, getting her Galatasaray jersey back from the personnel … and a microphone as well!
Allen Price: “Uh-oh, she got a live microphone.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Uh-oh indeed, Allen. Uh-oh, indeed.”
Luna waits for the boos to die down before raising the mic to her lips.
Luna Piper: “Well, guys. This has been fun! I’m known for my interaction with my audience and trust me, I will never forget Istanbul, I will never forget today!”
The statement confuses the fans a bit as the city is somewhat praised?
Luna Piper: “Love me or hate me .. but at the end of the day, I’m doing all of this for you! So that you can either cheer me or boo me, it doesn’t matter! I knew that the Turkish people love themselves some South Koreans and K-Pop so I figured I couldn’t win you over to my side … so I had to be hated instead.”
Allen Price: “So … this has all been a trick? We’ve been tricked?””
Luna Piper: “I guess this is the part where I reveal that I don’t care about football, I don’t hate your local sports team or I don’t support your rivals and all that. That’s not how these things usually go but then again, I was never an usual girl, was I? Yeah, I don’t dislike Fenerbahçe at all!”
Luna is silent for a while before a sinister smile curls up to her lips.
Luna Piper: “Well … I don’t dislike them … I fucking hate them!”
The crowd is molten for Luna now.
Luna Piper: “Let it be known my victory over that loser Jin-ho today was totally fair and square, that’s more than your team can ever say, huh? You dirty, match-fixing cheaters! What do you know about integrity? You haven’t been to Champions League for 16 years! You haven’t won the league for nearly 10 years! And this year, when you finally had a realistic chance, you’re blowing it once again! You’re all cheaters, you’re all chokers, you’re all losers, just like your shitty football team!”
The cameras catch at least two people who try to jump over the rails but the security guards are worth every penny today.
Luna Piper: “Seriously, who scammed you to pick a flimsy little canary as your mascot, huh? Galatasaray got a fierce lion, Besiktas got a charismatic eagle and you guys got a scared canary. You’ve been morons throughout your club history and it never changed. And just a week ago, Galatasaray handed your ass to you in this very stadium! In your own home! What football team lets their fierce rivals batter them 3-0 in their own stadium? You guys continue to break new ground at being shit! You all suck!”
Luna puts down the microphone and shows the fans the Galatasaray jersey again. She takes her sweet ass time, milking as much hatred from the crowd as possib-
{WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE || BON JOVI}[MEDIA=youtube]SRvCvsRp5ho[/MEDIA]
As Tommy Belam's music hits, the crowd is somewhat confused. They know that he has a match scheduled against Michelle von Horowitz, but Luna is still in the middle of the ring absorbing the hatred from the crowd. Tommy has on his ring gear as he steps into the ring. He walks over to the corner and motions for someone to hand him a microphone.
Tommy Bedlam: “Luna, I'm not sure that you and I have had the chance to meet yet, but I'm Tommy Bedlam. Now, unlike you, I have a real match against a real opponent, so if you would be so kind, I'm gonna ask that you shut the hell up and make your way out of the ring.”
Luna doesn't move as the crowd begins to jeer her even louder. She crosses her arms and gives Tommy a sarcastic grin.
Tommy Bedlam: “Listen, I'm not going to come out here and pretend to know the first damn thing about soccer. Hell, I think I'm supposed to call it football while I'm over here. As most of you know, I'm from Texas. No offense to your game, but we just don't really follow it back on the ranch. So, I'm not entirely sure about the whole idea of kicking a little round ball into one of those big ass nets, but I do know about kicking peoples' heads off their shoulders.”
It takes Luna a moment to realize what Tommy's saying, as she's too distracted by the hatred from the crowd. Just as she realizes what he just said, he shrugs his shoulders and plants a Buckshot Superkick square across her chin. She crumples to the ground. As the crowd goes absolutely insane, Tommy rolls Luna out of the ring with his foot.
{IN DREAMS || ROY ORBISON}[MEDIA=youtube]MVRunwyoTMA[/MEDIA]
The reaction for MvH is mixed as she walks out onto the stage with her FWA World Tag Team Championship on her shoulder, some of the favour that she's experienced during the European tour still audible but a lot more boos accompanying those than we've seen so far. She walks out onto the stage with an ambivalent countenance on her face, takes one look around the arena whilst a quartet of Nephews (Uncle J.J. JAY!, Thomas West, Harry the Sane Wizard, and Quiet) assemble behind her, and then begins her stride down towards the ramp.
Natalie Rosenberg: "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a Pool A match in the F1 Climaxxx… scheduled for one-fall and with a thirty minute time limit… introducing first, from Rotterdam in the Netherlands and weighing in at fifty three kilograms… one half of the FWA World Tag Team Champions… 'Dreamer'... Michelle… von… HORROWITZ!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Here we are, wrestling fans! It's the final match up in the F1 pool stage, and - thanks to Vampyra overcoming Kayden Knox earlier on tonight - it's winner takes all! The winner of this match will join Bryan Baxter and Chris Peacock from Pool B and Alyster Black from Pool A in the semi-finals."
Allen Price: "We also know that the victor here, out of Michelle von Horrowitz and Tommy Bedlam, will set up a date with 'Big' Bryan Baxter on Fight Night: Final Four. MvH goes into this contest ahead of Bedlam by two points, but Tommy would leapfrog Dreamer with a win here by virtue of the head-to-head tie-breaker."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And Michelle, of course, has brought an insurance policy down to the ring… well, four insurance policies, in fact. Cthulhu's Nephews are down here in force, and one has to wonder why Jon Russnow hasn't banned this stable from ringside given their involvement in almost all of Michelle's F1 matches thus far."
Allen Price: "The only exception to that was get loss to Alyster Black, and we can throw the Mile High Massacre match two weeks ago into that, too. We know that Michelle can do it by herself, as she was for years before her alignment with the Nephews last summer… she's just choosing not to, right now, for reasons that aren't immediately clear."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What is immediately clear is that Tommy Bedlam - along with official DJ Franchise - will need to have eyes in the back of his head unless he wants to suffer the same fate as Vampyra, Gabrielle, and - before his premature exit from the tournament - Cornelius Aurelius Caesar."
Natalie Rosenberg: "And her opponent… already in the ring.. from Sweetwater, Texas and weighing in at two hundred and forty four pounds… TOOOOMMY BEEEEDLAAAAAM!"
Allen Price: "Istanbul seems to be firmly on Tommy Bedlam's side here tonight… who knew Turkey loved cowboys so much?!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam has earned this reaction thanks to a string of strong performances since his unexpected return a couple of months ago. Bedlam recorded victories against Nate Savage and Jason Randall in order to qualify for the F1 tournament, and has since put in some excellent performances against some of FWA's top stars."
Allen Price: "That's right, J-L. Bedlam may have come up just short against both members of Black Caramel throughout this pool stage, but he really impressed a lot of people in those defeats against Alyster Black and Gabrielle Montgomery, as well as with his win over Vampyra at the tournament's outset."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It's that win that keeps his hopes alive here at the business end of the tournament, but it he wants to qualify for those semi-finals he has another tough challenge to overcome here in Istanbul against a two-time FWA World Champion. I'm expecting nothing less than a barnstormer here, Price!"
Allen Price: "I hope you - and Tommy Bedlam - won't be disappointed…"
Michelle has spent a moment on the second turnbuckle, where she flips off a ten year old girl on the front row wearing a Tommy Bedlam shirt, before hopping down and staring down the much larger man. Match official DJ Franchise conducts his final checks and then, after Tommy's music fades out and the audience's anticipation has reached fever pitch, he calls for the opening bell…
The two begin the match by circling the ring, neither competitor seemingly want to rush into anything in the first exchange of the match. After perhaps two full circuits of the ring, they come together and it looks as though it's going to be a collar and elbow tie up to kick things off, only for MvH to duck beneath Tommy's grasp, roll through, and then slide beneath the bottom rope. Uncle is there waiting for her, and the two enter a brief dialogue on the outside, Michelle listening attentively to JAY! and nodding her head in recognition of his wisdom.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "MvH ducks out of the ring almost immediately here, and seeks the advice of Uncle J.J. JAY! on the outside."
Allen Price: "It doesn't seem as though Dreamer wants to rush into anything. The gravity of the situation perhaps weighing on her?"
After getting enough sage advice from Uncle, Michelle rolls back into the ring and climbs to her feet. Tommy hangs back, allowing Dreamer to rise and then watching on as she gets up and once more begins to circle the ring. He reciprocates, but this time Michelle doesn't even wait until the pair begin to come together before she drops back down to the mat and rolls beneath the bottom rope. She finds herself standing next to Thomas West, who takes his turn to offer some words (of encouragement? Of advice?) to von Horrowitz, who again listens patiently whilst keeping one eye on Tommy within the ring.
Allen Price: "Michelle von Horrowitz climbs back into the ring slowly, with Tommy Bedlam waiting across the ring with his hands on his hips. Looks like the Cowboy is losing patience, perhaps?"
Indeed, rather than circle the ring, this time Bedlam charges across the ring and looks to take MvH's head off with a big boot. She ducks beneath it, though, rolling through and climbing to her feet. She turns to see Tommy charging at her again, this time with a lariat attempt, but again she evades it, dodging to her left and throwing herself onto the mat and rolling beneath the bottom rope again. She is standing next to Quiet this time, and she mocks listening to his advice even though the masked man isn't actually uttering a word.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Maybe just some last minute mind games from Dreamer? You're right, Price: Tommy Bedlam doesn't seem too amused by these parlour tricks."
Eventually, after she's done pretending to listen to the silent Quiet, Michelle climbs up the ring steps and into the ring once more. Bedlam still has his hands on his hips, and is now shaking his head at what he clearly seems the cowardly antics of his opponent. Michelle begins to circle, but Tommy doesn't reciprocate… so Dreamer shrugs, and then slides beneath the bottom rope once more to converse with Harry…
.. and Tommy follows her out! He attempts to lunge at Michelle, but the Sane Wizard steps in-between the pair, forcing Bedlam to hold up before his shoves Harry out of the way. Michelle is waiting for him, though, and hits a low drop kick to the knees to double him over before connecting with an enziguri. Bedlam is using the ring apron for support, and von Horrowitz looks for a running knee strike, attempting to sandwich Bedlam's head between her knee and the apron… but Tommy dives out of the way at the last moment! Michelle hits the apron with her knee, and staggers back whilst wincing with the pain. Bedlam hoists her up, and drops her on the outside with a sidewalk slam!
Tommy picks MvH up and throws her under the bottom rope, with Dreamer immediately attempting to crawl across the ring and climb out of it on the opposite side. The Cowboy collects her before she does, though, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her into a big clothesline! Michelle lands at an ugly angle, remaining stationary for a moment whilst the crowd gives Bedlam a roar of support.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Michelle von Horrowitz has tried to evade Bedlam's advances here in the early going, but Tommy presses his point and finds the momentum on his side."
Allen Price: "Can't run away forever, J-L!"
Bedlam waits in the corner for Michelle to rise to her feet, and then charges in at her to hit the big boot that he missed earlier on in the match. MvH again seems to be rolling towards the ropes, maybe to get out of the ring and away from Bedlam again, but Tommy picks her up and applies a front facelock. He takes her over with a snap suplex, but keeps hold of the front facelock and drags Michelle up again. He picks Michelle up again, this time holding her up over his head and allowing the blood to drain to hers. The crowd count along as Bedlam keeps Dreamer hoisted up - five, ten, fifteen seconds, with Tommy eventually dropping her with the vertical suplex when the crowd hits eighteen. And now, for the first time in the match, Tommy goes for the cover…
ONE… TWO… NO!
Michelle is able to get the shoulder up, and once more Bedlam picks her up to her feet. He backs her into the ropes with alternating forearms and European uppercuts. He attempts to whip her into the opposite set, but Dreamer hooks the top rope with her arms to block it. Bedlam responds by nailing her with a quartet of rapid forearms, which forces her to release the ropes to throw up a guard, and then he tries the Irish whip, again. Michelle winds up for a discus forearm, but Bedlam has already hooked onto the opposite set of ropes to check his momentum, causing Dreamer to find thin air. Noticing Uncle behind Tommy on the outside, Michelle suddenly grabs DJ Franchise and pulls him between her and her opponent, so the official has his back to Tommy as the Cowboy begins charging… only for JAY! to reach beneath the bottom rope and grab one of Bedlam’s legs! Tommy stumbles as Dreamer pushes Franchise out of the way and connects with a mule kick to Bedlam… followed by a double underhook DDT!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam is spiked on his head! Dreamer hooks the far leg…"
ONE… TWO… NO!
Allen Price: "Bedlam with the shoulder up!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "But Michelle von Horrowitz has turned the tide here, thanks to a bit of extra-curricular from Uncle J.J. JAY!. DJ Franchise needs to get control of this one…"
Allen Price: "Nothing he can do if his back is turned!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Common sense has to prevail, Price! Blatant diversion tactics from von Horrowitz mean only one thing."
MvH follows up after the kick out by picking Tommy’s leg and attempting to turn him onto his front for an ankle lock… but Bedlam rolls through, forcing Michelle forward and out through the second and third ropes. Fortunately for Dreamer. Thomas and Harry are there to catch her, saving her a hard fall. But as they dust her down, Bedlam strikes with a baseball slide, sending Dreamer sprawling towards the timekeeper’s area. Tommy follows her and picks her up by her hair, before hitting a pair of hard forearms and then throwing her into the steel steps with a hard Irish whip. Dreamer hits the steel hip-first and bounces over the steps, landing in a heap on the other side. Tommy takes a moment to look out over the crowd, most of whom are cheering for the Cowboy, who then proceeds to follow her around the steps. He lifts her up and throws her first into the barricade, where he tees off with a quartet of hard knife edge chops. He notes the referee has reached six and throws Dreamer under the bottom rope. He follows her in and waits patiently for Michelle to get to her feet. When she’s up to her knees and sucking in hard-won lung-fulls of oxygen, Bedlam charges at the ropes. He hits the first set, and then runs past Michelle into the opposite set. Dreamer turns to face him… just as he is propelling himself towards her with a massive discus lariat! Michelle is folded up like an accordion, and Bedlam promptly rolls her over before hooking the far leg.
ONE… TWO… T – NO!
Dreamer again gets a shoulder up, with Tommy wasting no time in again lifting her to her feet. This time he drags her head into position between his legs before hoisting her up… and then sitting out with a piledriver! Michelle bounces after the impact with the mat, Tommy again going for a cover, this time a lateral press with an elbow forced into Dreamer’s face.
ONE… TWO… …
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Michelle gets a foot on the ropes! The official enforces the break, with Dreamer again pulling herself out of the ring and seeking refuge amongst the Nephews."
Allen Price: "As Quiet and Thomas provide support, Tommy Bedlam follows her out. He lunges at Dreamer with another clothesline attempt…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Ducked beneath by Dreamer… and then a chop block to the back of the knee!"
Tommy crumples into a heap, holding his knee, and Michelle tries to press home her sudden advantage. She hits a stomp to the same knee, causing Tommy to roll onto his back. Michelle grabs his leg and turns him over in a stretch muffler!! The referee is well on his way with his count, already on four, and so Michelle this a few stomps to the back of the head whilst maintaining the hold until the official reaches seven. She then releases and rolls into the ring, DJ Franchise continuing as Bedlam fights to stumble back to the ring… and he just about slides in to escape the count!
… only for Michelle to reapproach and put Bedlam straight back into the stretch muffler! This time, it’s in the ring, and not only legal, but also putting the Cowboy in serious danger of submitting. Tommy’s palm stretches over the mat, the thought of submitting crossing his mind… before he makes a fist with that same hand, and then crawls hand over hand towards the bottom rope… before hooking onto it with his outstretched fingertips! Franchise begins his five-count, with Michelle quickly reeling off a trio of hard, gnarly stomps to the back of his head before relinquishing the hold. She backs away from Tommy, the official admonishing her for her late release of the hold… which allows Uncle to connect with a quick spray of pink mist to Tommy Bedlam, who is propping himself up using the second rope, from outside the ring!!
And then Michelle rolls him up with a school-boy…
ONE… TWO… TH – NO!
Allen Price: "Bedlam kicks out! Michelle von Horrowitz gets the closest she’s come to finishing this match…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "And with a fistfull of tights, too, without DJ Franchise cottoning on. Dreamer seems intent on taking every single shortcut possible, here."
Bedlam scrambles up to his feet after the kick-out, and Dreamer is already coming at him with a vicious discus forearm! Bedlam is staggered, and Michelle throws herself off the ropes again and goes for a busaiku knee kick… only for Tommy to sidestep, and then double Dreamer over with a boot to the midsection. Quickly, the Cowboy lifts her up…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Sit out powerbomb!!! Tommy Bedlam folds Michelle up, and he holds her down for the cover…"
ONE… TWO… THR – NO!
Allen Price: "Michelle is able to kick out, but she’s cradling those ribs… we heard about an injury to them following the Mile High Massacre two weeks ago… could all of those bookings on this long European tour be coming back to haunt her?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "It’s possible, Price. That brutal cage match only fourteen nights ago saw MvH thrown from the top of the structure and through our announce table. Dreamer can’t be expected to be fighting fit in such a short time span. Who can blame Tommy for seeking to take advantage of that?"
Tommy doesn’t lift Michelle up after the kickout, instead electing to stalk her from across the ring as she rises of her own accord. Just like he did earlier in the match with his discus lariat, Bedlam charges past Dreamer, and she turns around as he hits the ropes a second time before attempting a massive spear… but Michelle manages to leap over the top of it out of instinct alone. Dreamer braces herself when she lands, clutching her ribs again in pain… prompting the official to check on her, and allowing Thomas West to reach beneath the bottom rope and grab both of Tommy’s legs, causing him to faceplant the mat! The official doesn’t see it, given that he’s checking on Dreamer’s injuries, but Michelle quickly shrugs him off when she sees Bedlam climbing up to his knees. She grabs his head and yanks it into position between her legs, before hooking both arms, perhaps going for her patented Tiger Driver… but Tommy breaks his arms loose, and then lifts Michelle up and over for a big back body drop. Dreamer lands on her feet, though… but Tommy is already hitting the ropes, and she turns around as he connects with his spear on a second attempt!! Michelle is damn near cut in half, and instantly she’s rolling around clutching her ribs, until Bedlam is able to hold her into position to hook the leg…
ONE… TWO… THRE – NO!
If Bedlam is frustrated, he doesn't let it show, and immediately follows up with a series of stomps to targeted body parts of his grounded opponent, culminating in a half-dozen hard stomps to the ribs. Michelle rolls onto her front and gets to her knees, Bedlam backing off and allowing her to climb to her feet…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam going for a cutter of some sort… but Dreamer pushes him off and towards the turnbuckles…"
Allen Price: "And almost squashing official DJ Franchise between the Cowboy and the corner! Bedlam has to check his momentum to avoid contact… and he turns around into a superkick from Dreamer!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "We don't see Michelle busting out her superkick all too often, with perhaps the last time being against Chris Kennedy at Back in Business."
Allen Price: "I can see the link."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well done, Price."
Bedlam slumps into the corner now, with the official having darted out of the way. Michelle reels off with alternating forearm strikes and knife edge chops, and then it appears she's attempting to Irish whip Bedlam across the ring. She really has the heave to drag the big man out of the corner, but she doesn't let go of his hand, and instead yanks him back towards the original corner and hits a drop toe hold, attempting to send Bedlam's head into the second turnbuckle… but the referee is in the way!! DJ Franchise was trying to quickly dodge around the competitors as the Irish whip went down, and ends up flattened in-between Bedlam and the corner!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "The referee is down!! DJ Franchise has collapsed into a heap after that impact with both Tommy Bedlam and the turnbuckles."
Allen Price: "Tommy Bedlam is a big dude, I wouldn't be surprised if Franchise was down for a while!"
Bedlam, after the drop toe hold and the collision with the referee, is on his knees, looking down at the referee, who is face down on the mat in front of him… and MvH levels him with a swift kick to the groin from behind!! The crowd collectively winces as Bedlam reaches for his nether-regions and then slumps to the mat, rolling about in pain. Michelle stays busy, barking orders to the outside, and Uncle J.J. JAY! quickly complies by sliding Michelle's championship belt under the bottom rope. Dreamer picks it up and then waits for Tommy to rise, lurking behind him like a predator stalking its prey.
Jean-Luc Watkins: "We've seen a low blow already, and now Michelle has the gold in her hands! An unsuspecting Tommy Bedlam gets to his feet… and he's LEVELED with the belt!!"
Allen Price: "A sickening connection! No pun intended!"
Bedlam hits the mat again, this time lying on his back, and the camera picks up a thin trickle of blood running down from his forehead. Michelle hands the blood-stained belt back to Uncle, who carefully gives it back to the timekeeper for safe-keeping. In the ring, Michelle has climbed up the turnbuckles and now steadies herself on the top rope…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "450 SPLASH!!"
Allen Price: "And look at the official! DJ Franchise is stirring!"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "He's crawling over to make the count!!"
Allen Price: "NOT THIS WAY!"
ONE…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Come on, Tommy!"
TWO…
Allen Price: "This is bullshit!"
THRE –
NO!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Tommy Bedlam kicks out!! Tommy Bedlam kicks out!!!"
Allen Price: "Just LISTEN to this crowd!!"
Initial euphoria at the kick out then settles into 'LET'S GO TOMMY!' chant, a much smaller 'MvH' one dueling with it but being almost drowned out. Michelle, meanwhile, gets to her feet with a look on her face that suggests shock, frustration, and anger… and then she stomps down hard on the back of the referee's head!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Jesus!"
Allen Price: "The first ref bump looked accidental… but there's nothing indeliberate about this! MvH drags DJ Franchise up to his feet and then burls him through the ropes! DJ lands on a heap on the outside."
Michelle looks down at the Nephews around ringside and offers them a nod, which seems like the activation signal for phase two of the plan. As Uncle and Thomas climb into the ring, Harry hops up onto the apron as Tommy Bedlam is once more staggering up to his feet…
Allen Price: "Cosmic Busaiku Knee from Harry! He somersaults over the top rope and thuds into Bedlam's chest with the knee strike!"
Tommy somehow managed to stay on his feet, but stumbles right into Thomas West, who hits him with a HUGE pounce… but once again Bedlam doesn't go down! He instead staggers into Uncle's direction, and JAY! plants him on his head with the World's Most Complicated DDT!!
With the audience now entirely made up of nonplussed and booing fans, Michelle steadies herself upon the top rope, which she has climbed back up onto whilst the assault has been taking place… and hits a second 450 Splash!
Allen Price: "Michelle hooks the far leg, but there's no referee…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Oh, no…"
The crowd collectively groans as he reaches into his pocket… and pulls out a black and white shirt, emblazoned with the FWA logo! He pulls it over his head, and then - the audience beginning to throw empty glasses and other random shit into the ring - drops to his knees to make the count…
ONE…
Allen Price: "Absolute nonsense!"
TWO…
Jean-Luc Watkins: "For once, I agree, Price.”
THREE!
{RESULT}Winner: Michellel von Horrowitz by pin fall at 14:40.
Allen Price: "…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "…"
We cut over to the time-keeper's area, where Quiet has seized the hammer from the man responsible for it, and the masked man rings the bell himself. Natalie Rosenberg, who may or may not be in on it, has no hesitations in making the announcement…
Natalie Rosenberg: "Here is your winner… Michelle… von… HORROWITZ!"
MvH gets to her feet in the ring and Uncle takes her by the hand, lifting one up to signify her 'victory'. Harry the Sane Wizard has climbed out of the ring and rips a sign out of one of the front row fan's hands. When he rolls back into the ring and walks in wide circles, parading it for the crowd, we see that it says 'MORE NEPHEW BULLSHIT'.
Allen Price: "Couldn't agree more with that audience member's sign… this is… is that official?!"
The obligatory standings graphic pops up on screen, apparently legitimizing Michelle's victory by adding two points to her tally.
Allen Price: "Well… if that standings graphic is anything to go by… MvH has just punched her place in the semi-finals of this tournament…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "No."
Allen Price: "What do you mean, no?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "I'm still a part owner of this company, damnit! I need to speak to Russnow about this bullshit."
We hear a headset being placed down on the desk, and the camera momentarily cuts to JLW storming up the ramp towards the stage. The Nephews seemingly don't even notice him, in their own world (and, indeed, on top of it). They have lifted Michelle up onto their shoulders, where she holds the FWA World Tag Team Championships high above her head.
Allen Price: "Well, it appears that the F1 Climaxxx pool stage has ended, but under acrimonious circumstances. And I have a feeling that we haven't heard the last of this…"
More thrown trash descends on the ring as Michelle is set back down on the mat. She climbs out of the ring and, followed by the Nephews, walks up the ramp with a cauldron of derision bubbling around her. We fade out to commercials.
When we come back from commercial, with the last of the adverts being a lengthy demonstration and sales pitch for a state of the art blender, we are following Jean-Luc Watkins as he strides down the corridor. The camera crew struggles to keep up, with the shot shaking as they attempt to match his pace.
Allen Price: "Welcome back to Fallout 025, ladies and gentlemen, and before we get to our main event, it appears my broadcast colleague is making good on his promise to question Russnow regarding the outcome of our last match…"
Indeed, Watkins turns a corner and eventually arrives at the office of Jon Russnow. The commentator gives the door three quick knocks and then opens it. The familiar figure of Russnow is inside, holding a dart and preparing to throw it into a board.
Jon Russnow: "Jean-Luc…"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well?"
Russnow lowers his dart, his focus broken. He rounds his desk and takes a seat.
Jon Russnow: "Well, what?"
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well that was a complete shitshow."
A deep sigh from Russnow, who shoves the dart into a groove in his desk.
Jon Russnow: "It wasn't great."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "Well, we can do something about it. We still run this show, don't we? We haven't sold it to the cultists just yet.”
As Watkins leans over the desk, it seems that Russnow is attempting to avoid eye contact.
Jon Russnow: "My hands are tied on this one, Jean-Luc."
Jean-Luc Watkins: "What are you saying?"
Jon Russnow: "We can talk about this later. But you've got two matches to call before we do."
His eyes flicker to the camera lens, and then back to his counterpart.
Jon Russnow: "This isn't the time."
Without another word, Jean-Luc stops looming over Russnow's desk, realising that he's not going to get anywhere here and that - perhaps - this wasn't the way to go about it. He nods at Russnow and turns, leaving the office.
We fade out, and we get to see that blender commercial again as the broadcast team resets themselves after this unexpected segment.
Natalie Rosenberg: “The next contest is scheduled for one fall with a twenty-minute-time-limit!”
And now we seem to have some electrical issues as the lights all around the arena flicker for a bit. Then they start shutting off from furthest sections to the ringside sections and stage. A few seconds of total darkness and then this plays on the arena sound system...
{SCARED OF THE DARK || JEEZY}[MEDIA=youtube]o9L_uKs-6s8[/MEDIA]
...which brings out loud reactions from the audience as they wait for one of the darkest souls to make his way out to the stage. Once the intro to the song has played, the song begins and all of the lights are flickering in bright white to each word of the chorus. And finally the lights return to normal as The Dark Traveler, Darius Wright steps onto the stage in the tattered remains of what was once a casual jeans/t-shirt look.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Making his way to the ring, from Los Angeles, California and weighing in at 243 lb…he is The Dark Traveler…Darius Wright!”
With only the collar and some pieces still attached to this top part of the black t-shirt, the dirty black jeans sport big ripped holes from about mid-thigh down to mid-shin and one old black hi-top Converse on his right foot with an old torn sock on his left that only covers the heel and ankle. He looks out over the large crowd with a blank look before creeping on down to the ring unenthusiastic and not animated as he once used to be. He steps between the middle and top rope to enter the ring then goes to the center where he takes a slow full 360 turn to look all around the arena with almost a psychotic stare yet his eyes blink like a normal person. Then he raises both of his arms and form an X over his head as he stares off into the hard camera and the lights flicker once again as the words to the chorus of Jeezy's Scared Of The Dark repeats...
Allen Price: “This man certainly exudes an intimidating presence. He’s not someone I’d want to run into alone in a dark alley.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wright is coming off of a decisive victory over The Boulder, and he’s looking to continue his winning ways here in FWA after getting off to a rocky start.”
{GO TO SLEEP || EMINEM, DMX, & OBIE TRICE}[MEDIA=youtube]r2GEb4MrkvU[/MEDIA]
The Wildcard bursts out on stage and he doesn’t pause to take in the crowd, he’s already halfway down the ramp as he’s in a rush to get this match started.
Natalie Rosenberg: “His opponent, from San Diego, California and weighing in at 234 lb…he is The Wildcard…Jason Randall!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Randall is coming off a disappointing loss to Shawn Summers on Fallout 024, so you can probably guess that he’d like to bounce back after that with a win tonight over Darius Wright!”
Allen Price: “It’s the battle of Southern California, Jean-Luc. Wright is representing Los Angeles, while Randall is representing San Diego. The Los Angeles Dodgers vs The San Diego Padres!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Is that football you’re referencing, Price? Why is everyone so obsessed with sports tonight?! It doesn’t matter anyway, why am I asking? Anyway, despite his loss to Summers, Randall made his intentions known to Vampyra that he has his eyes on her TV title.”
The referee, Larry Stevens, does his last minute checks before calling for the bell.
DING! DING! DING!
The two competitors don’t waste any time as they lock up, and Randall has the early advantage as he holds Wright’s head down and drives some knees into his dome! Wright is reeling now and Randall shoves him into the corner and unloads on Wright with some stomps. Randall pulls Wright out of the corner and aims for a discus lariat but Wright ducks underneath and strikes back with a headbutt! Randall staggers back and Wright spins him around and shoves him into the corner sternum first. Wright pounds away at the back of Randall with some clubbing blows before hoisting him up top in a sitting position, and for good measure, Wright drives home another clubbing blow to the back.
Wright hangs Randall upside down in a tree of woe position in the corner, and Wright delivers some stomps of his own on The Wildcard. Wright continues this assault as he places his boot on Randall’s head and he pushes down on it, even going as far as using the ropes as leverage, before referee Stevens gets him to back off after a count of five. Wright releases the hold and Randall drops down to the mat in a heap. Wright drags Randall away and Wright looks to apply a kneebar submission, but Randall kicks him away and Wright stumbles back a few steps into the ropes. Randall springs up to his feet however, but Wright is right back on the attack with a spinning back fist that knocks Randall back into the ropes but Randall bounces off of them with a rebound and he fires back with a rebound lariat and both men are down before Randall rolls over on top of Wright with the lateral press…
One…TWO-NO!
Wright gets a shoulder up and Randall instinctively grabs a hold of Wright’s arm, and he transitions into an arm-trap and Randall unleashes a barrage of elbows to the head! Randall relinquishes his hold and paces around the ring while the referee checks on Wright…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Neither man is holding anything back. A win for Randall could move him one step closer to contendership for the TV title, while a win for Wright could move him further up the ranks and possibly near the TV title as well.”
Wright sits up and Randall charges toward him with a running boot, but Wright is wise to duck underneath and he catches Randall from behind with a roll-up!
One…TWO-NO!
Randall kicks out with authority and he rolls through as he rises to his feet, but so does Wright and Wright drives a knee right into the midsection! Wright then sends Randall over with a snapmare and he follows up with a low running kick to the spine! Randall winces in pain and Wright applies a rear chin lock, digging his knee deep into Randall’s lower spine. Randall is reaching out for the ropes, but they are too far. Randall starts to fight out of it despite Wright’s best efforts to keep him locked in the hold, and after a few elbows jabs to the midsection he’s forced to let go. Randall drives home repeated forearm smashes that rock Wright. Randall has Wright in position for a snap suplex but Wright blocks it and quickly counters with his own snap suplex! Randall pops up but Wright strikes with a spinning back kick and Wright hits Randall with a capture suplex! Wright hooks the far leg for the pin…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Wright mounts Randall and drives down some punches while Randall does his best to cover up. Randall eventually manages to counter as he grabs Wright by the arm and transitions into a fujiwara arm bar and he wrenches back on the hold but Wright wisely breaks it up by grabbing the ropes…
Jean-Luc Watkins: “A rare mistake by The Wildcard that he can’t let get to him.”
Allen Price: “I don’t know about you, Jean-Luc, but to me these two seem so evenly matched despite this being their first ever encounter.”
Wright begins to use the ropes as leverage to bring himself to his feet and Randall sneaks up behind him and locks in a rear waistlock, and Randall attempts a german suplex but Wright hangs on to the ropes which prevents Randall hitting his move. Wright nails a back kick to the midsection, and quickly follows up with a spinning back elbow. Randall is in a daze and Wright runs the ropes before coming back and hitting The Wright Way! Randall is more than stunned now but he’s still on his feet, which allows Wright to hit Bedtime Story on Randall! Wright keeps the sleeper hold applied after hitting the suplex and the referee sees Randall’s shoulders on the mat…
One…two…THREE-NO!
Randall kicks out and drops down but Wright brings him back up and Wright drives his knee right in Randall’s face! Wright has him right where he wants him as he brings Randall up, and Wright goes for a spinning back kick, but Randall catches it and spins him around and shoves him into the ropes and Wright bounces off the ropes and staggers back into a sling blade! Randall sizes up Wright and points his finger at Wright in a gun motion before pulling the trigger and he goes for The Kill-Shot but Wright side steps him and rolls him up!
One…two…THREE-NO!
Randall pops up out of the pin and both men are on their feet now and goes for a kick to the midsection, but Wright catches it and takes Randall down with Sweet Revenge! Dragon screw has Randall clutching at his leg as he tries to limp his way back to his feet while Wright sizes him and doubles him over with a spinning back kick! Wright brings Randall in close in position…Dark Cloud! Wright immediately drops down for the pin!
One…two…THREE!
{RESULT}Winner: Darius Wright by pin fall at 13:17
After the match we see Wright assault Randall and lock in a knee bar submission on Randall. The Wildcard is howling in pain as more referees arrive on the scene to attempt to break this up.
Allen Price: “What is the point of this?! Come on, get him off!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Wright wants to send a message, Price, and unfortunately it’s at the expense of The Wildcard!”
The lights go out and after several seconds they return but Wright is nowhere to be found. Besides Randall nursing his knee and the referees checking on him, all that is left in the ring is a cloud of smoke.
Allen Price: “I get that he wanted to send a message but there has to be a better way than to trying to end another man’s career!”
We fade in from black, focused on a large ornately decorated wooden set of doors. The trimming and carving on the wood depict an amalgamation of flowers, crows, doves, ravens, and the words “Bassignani” orderly placed in the center, separated by the seam of the doors. The round metal doorknob on one of the doors starts to turn and the door creaks open.
???: “Daddy!”
Yells an extremely happy female child’s voice.
A man is standing in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by a garden that seems almost infinite. A few feet from him, in the actual center, is a large tree with bright purple leaves. A stark contrast to the rather thunderstorm-esque looking sky that surrounds them.
???: “Ah! My darling daughter! How are you doing? Have you been playing nice with your sister?”
The man’s daughter, who is now seen to be 4-year old Keres, is wearing a cute white dress adorned with images of sunflowers. She runs up to her father. He is a large, strong man in a suit. Appearance similar to a certain former FWA star with well kept dark hair and beard. He gives a rare, warm smile. He is the imposing TORN Warrior known as Slate Bass, and gives him a big hug as he kneels down to meet her.
Slate: “Is this true, Nova? The two of you have been playing well today?”
Emerging from the aforementioned doorway is Princess Nova. Wearing a luxurious dress as normal, this one goes to her knees and is black with purple roses over it and a matching tiara on her head. She politely closes the door behind her as she excitedly approaches Slate Bass and Keres.
Nova: “As always.”
???: “Hmhmhm, I’m glad the two of you are still getting along just as much as ever.”
Slate Bass, Princess Nova, and Keres all turn to see the alpha woman of The Bassignani Family/The Residence, the “Seamstress of Reality”, Eden. Wearing her usual black garb; a tanktop and jeans… however, this time, with the addition of a small bag over her shoulder..
Slate: “Hello, my love. What a rare moment for all of us to be gathered in your garden. It’s been quite a while, actually.”
Eden: “Yes. About six months too long, to be exact. And a lot has changed…but I am glad to see that my family is still just as strong as ever.”
Eden says with an odd, yet sincere, tone.
Nova: “Strong and continuing to grow.”
The Princess grins.
Nova: “I believe I was the only one to leave the Residence. It was my trip to Europe.”
Slate: “We watched.”
He gently puts his hand on Nova’s shoulder.
Slate: “While it was not your time that night, you are expanding our reach as always. I believe we will do great things in FWA sooner or later.”
Nova blushes while Eden lets out an almost inaudible scoff.
Nova: “Means so much to hear that from you.”
Eden: “Nova, my Princess… I want you to know that I am proud of you. I will admit to having my doubts, as I have had with everybody. But you far exceeded my expectations in more ways than one. Namely, in nurturing our dear, sweet, Keres.”
She gives a genuine smile to Nova, which is rare for any blood member of the Bassignani Family. Returning the kind gesture, Princess Nova curtsies to her mentor and grins.
Nova: “You said it yourself, you knew I was the only one capable of the position. But it did take me falling under your learning tree to do so.”
While they three are engaged in conversation, the youngest of The Residence has been frolicking amongst a bed of flowers near the great tree in the center of the courtyard. Keres slips behind the tree for a second…
Eden: “Daughter, you can stop pretending now.”
Eden’s icey words cut through the air, seeming to let all the warmth out of the garden and allowing in a cold breeze.
Keres: "̤̞̺̕P̬͍̞r̢͉͙̻̞̫e̩͇̩t̴̠̖͎̦e̴̗̙̻̯͔̜͈n̘̥͕d͇̖͎͓̜̺͍í̻ͅng̬̯͇̭̹ͅ?̫̞"̖̠
Keres’ voice now a steely echo in the garden, as if it were coming from everywhere at once. She steps out from behind the tree, now a full 3 feet taller, wearing a full black and gray outfit, complete with two black pigtails falling from her head and black combat boots digging into the ground.
Keres: “I am merely having fun, mother.”
Slate Bass, Eden, and Princess Nova all stare at this adult looking Keres. All three, although having completely different demeanors, feel an immense sense of power in the air. The color itself around them seems to drain from everything but the purple leaves of the tree. Nova simply hums.
Nova: “Hehe, well, that’s my little sister.”
Slate: “Eden… what is going on?”
For perhaps the first time in his TORN existence, there is a small sense of caution in Slate’s voice.
Eden: “You know what this is, dear. And so does Keres. It’s what we’ve been preparing for all this time. Fate has truly arrived. And it is just as cruel as I thought it would be.”
Keres: “Cruel? Mother, there will be nothing of that sort. I love you. I love father. I certainly love my big sister. Everything I do is for the love of my TORN Universe.”
Not taking her eyes off of Keres, Eden reaches into her small bag, taking something out of it, and tossing the bag to the ground. In her hand Eden holds a wilted rose, crackling at the slightest touch.
Slate: “No.”
Slate walks over to Keres and is immediately stopped as the vines of a plant clutch his ankles. He tears them out at the root and continues to walk towards Keres.
Keres: “̤̜̠I͙̩̩ ̰͓͔͇̼ẉ͚̜͕̦̫a̲s̝͔͈͓̰ ̪͔̞̟͕bḛ̭ḭn͍͇͜g̼ ̴͚̟̜n̞͕̹̝̹̦i̤͍̣̞̱c̨̹e̯͓̘͘, ̦̱͓̭͍̹fa̟t̷̘̱̙ḥ̹̦̦͍e̺͉̹͔͕͈̥r͚͇͉̕.̲”̳͍̮̯͞
Slate reaches Keres and goes to place his hand on her shoulder…only to be met with a palm to the chest, dropping him to the ground in crippling pain instantly. Slate lets out a yelp as he crashes into the ground.
Nova blinks, surprised from what she has seen, though she doesn’t move from her spot, as if she… knows this was going to happen.
Eden: “This was inevitable. In fact this is what I always wanted. My daughter to surpass me, in terms of taking over at least. But for you to lay claim to the TORN Universe without earning it…you must be out of your mind.”
Keres: “A wise man once uttered the words, ‘I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity’...Mother… How can I earn that which was mine from birth?”
Eden, with an almost proud smirk on her face, clutches the wilted rose in her hand. She throws it forward and, from thin air, hundreds of dead rose petals move swiftly towards Keres as a form of smokescreen to cover Eden quickly moving towards her. However, this means nothing.
Keres: “You should know better, mother.”
Once the rose petals disappear, Eden is standing where Keres once stood…by herself.
Keres: “I̘̼͔ ̶̜͓̤̥͇̭a͖̦̖͙͈m̴̟̱̙̝̤̦ ̣͔͟t̤̥͈h̗i̢̼̤̥͎s ̶̙p̱̙̯l̞̙̘̝͓̟̼a̷̩͙̟̩͖̫͖c͏̭̞͓͚͉̯̥e̩̬̻.̬̳̻͢”
Keres, hanging upside-down from the tree, reaches down and grabs both sides of Eden’s head, clutching her mother between her fingers. The blank and cold gaze of Keres meets Eden’s eyes…eliciting the foreign feeling of fear into the Seamstress of Reality. She lifts Eden off the ground.
During all this, Princess Nova has remained unflinching, just letting the situation play out. As Keres’ caretaker, she had expected this day would come.
Nova: “Slate, Eden. We knew this would come, why fight it? It is what we always wanted…”
Slate: “Because fate deems it so…”
Slate, in pain, rushes at Keres, who has just headbutted Eden nearly unconscious. Keres hops down from the tree, landing right-side up, and stops her father, grabbing him by the throat after sweeping his leg from under him. Barely able to speak through his daughter’s clutches, he utters a few words.
Slate: “Show…me…your true poten-”
He fails to finish his sentence as Keres turns with him, slamming him into the tree, which then moves some of its roots to meld him partly into itself, keeping him stuck there.
Eden, moving slowly, looks up at Princess Nova and reaches out her hand as if asking for help… Princess Nova moves towards her mentor and gently grabs her hand, though not to tug, but as if you are holding that of a sick relative.
Nova: “I know this is scary. But it is time. Keres is ready. You told me how scary a new role is. Now this is yours.”
She gently kisses Eden’s hand.
Nova: “We’ll love you. I’ll always love you as my own family. Remember.”
Eden, looking up at Nova, moves her hand away and drops it. Smirking, she looks towards Keres, and then back to Nova.
Eden: “Thank you, Nova.”
Keres moves over to her mother and kicks her directly in the face, making her tumble towards the tree, landing in a seated position against it.
Keres: “This… This is where the two of you now belong. Mother. Father. Within my TORN Universe, your essence, your formerly unmatched power and potential, are now part of this tree. My tree. Me. This is where you both shall remain in here…”
Keres lets in a deep breath, her eyes roll back, and she lets out a deep exhale. We are now in the living room of the Bassignani Residence.
Keres: “And The Residence is where you shall remain outside of my TORN Universe. Free will. It is yours. Your time…is over. I cannot be denied.”
Eden: “Yes, my daughter. I am proud of you.”
Slate Bass nods in agreement, as they both sit in chairs in the living room.
Keres looks over at her “sister”, Princess Nova. She is standing with her hands together, head down. Though she did affirm Eden that everything was kind, she knew it was hard. She looks up.
Nova: “No longer. You are worthy, dear sister.”
Keres: “Nova. Your words touch me. You and I shall reign Eternal. This…FWA you have expressed so much about…introduce me to my new…friends. Now.”
Accepting Keres word, Princess Nova curtsies to her.
Nova: “Gladly. Let us prepare then, we have much to do.”
She gives a small grin before the two head off to another part of the house. The TORN Universe reaches a new place, with a new generation taking head.
{WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE || MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE} [MEDIA=youtube]v_uncMEJkBc[/MEDIA]
The opening piano riff of Welcome to the Black Parade serves as background music as we go back to April 23rd 2021 - Fight Night: NOLA. The sound of Kurt Harrington’s voice is heard announcing the Gang Stars as the winners of the match, but it becomes distorted and turns to static.
Devin Golden has a piece of glass in his hand and Alyster Black is sat against the ring post on the floor, unable to move, the result of a vicious assault from Devin Golden. The Rotten Gold is egged on by his hometown fans, he squats down and pushes the shard of glass into Alyster Black’s bare chest.
The video turns to static.
Devin Golden: “I have gotten one up … on YOU at every turn.”
Various clips of Devin Golden beating Alyster are shown. Clips of the two of them brawling in the ring and outside of it. From various shows between 2021 and now. Fight Night: NOLA, the 15th Anniversary Show, Fallout 005, Lights Out 2021, Mile High 2021 and the latest from the 16th Anniversary show.
We see the Gang Stars with the FWA World Tag Team Championships at Lights Out with Golden Rock looking on from the floor, having just lost Game 7.
The clips finish on one of Devin and Randy holding the FWA World Tag Team Championship up high in celebration following them beating Alyster and Krash in the Mile High Massacre. Both members of the Gang Stars look on in disdain.
Devin Golden: “What has Golden done … to get another shot … at the FWA World Championship?”
Clips of Devin standing over a downed Alyster in various situations flash one after the other over a clip of Devin Golden holding a piece of glass in his hand, the clip is in black and white except for the colour red that the glass is covered in, it’s Alyster’s blood.
Devin Golden: “And then … at the Boountyyyy … it was me … Golden … sieeeempreeee … who won the World Chaaaaampionshiiiiip and sent Krash down a spiral that ultimately led … to his death.”
We transition to Meltdown X, the night of the bounty. Showing the Gang Stars valiantly fighting to keep the World Championship on the shoulders of Krash, but the clip ends with the image of Devin Golden driving away with the World Championship.
Devin Golden: “I … killed … KRASH.
Fast forward to Back in Business XVI. Krash and Randy share their final words before plunging into the waters, never to be seen again.
Devin Golden: “I didn’t shove him off the bridge, but I did sharpen the blade of Randy Ramon that did the deed, and I punctured Krash’s heart the night of the Bounty and TOOK HIS SOUL!”
We cut to Meltdown XXIII, Devin is in the ring with a beaten up but still standing Alyster Black, ranting at him, offering him this match.
Devin Golden: “I give you the opportunity … to beat me … in my last match. To retire me. To be the man … to send Golden back … to the place that you, too, one day will go. And to fittingly … and finally … proclaim … that you could be the very first person … to persevere beyond … me. Randy cannot say this. Ryan Rondo cannot say this. KRASH … cannot say this. Danny … Toner cannot say this.
It could be … you. And you will always have that on me.
Allllll you have to do … is accept.”
Devin Golden: “One … final … dance … before the music stops playing. Will you graaaant … an old man … with a walking caaaane … one last dance … Aaaaalyster?”
Then to Meltdown XXV, this time it’s Alyster holding the microphone.
Alyster Black: “When I’m done with you, and you “wake up” never to return. I just want you to remember this… everyone wants you gone and no one is going to miss you. Nothing in this world can compare to the feeling I have knowing that it’s me who has the honour of putting an end to you.”
Clips flash over the screen rapidly as the song reaches a crescendo. The Leather Boys attacking Golden Rock, Devin carving Alyster, the Gang Stars winning the tag titles at Lights Out, Golden Rock winning them back at Mile High Massacre.
We end on Alyster and Devin, eye-to-eye, with Alyster holding the World Championship up proudly.
The entire arena has a hush of anticipation hit it, as the main event is set to come. The image of the three cages and a single referee in the middle sets the mood.
An unexpected sound begins to play – one that if you’ve been watching for 14 years, you might remember from 14 years ago.
{HEART OF A CHAMPION || NELLY}[MEDIA=youtube]0bFnI8KbVdM[/MEDIA]
The opening buildup of Nelly’s “Heart of a Champion” plays as a few fans in the crowd recognize this as the original theme song of “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden. Right as the first real lyrics begin to play, though, the music stops.
And transitions right into a soothing and recognizable piano chord.
{LOSE YOURSELF || EMINEM}[MEDIA=youtube]_Yhyp-_hX2s[/MEDIA]
Then the bass guitar and karaoke-famous lyrics.
“Look … if you had … one shot.
One opportunity.
To Seize everything you ever wanted.
One moment.
Would you capture it, or just let it slip?”
More fans cheer as “Lose Yourself” by Eminem is the second of Golden’s theme songs in the FWA.
But it also stops, shifting right into a likewise-recognizable bass guitar beat that soothes the crowd yet again.
{HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN || THE ANIMALS}[MEDIA=youtube]N4bFqW_eu2I[/MEDIA]
“There is …
A house …
In New Orleeeeans …
They caaaaaalllll the Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiising Suuuuuuuuun.
And it's been …
The ruin …
Of many a poor boy
And God …
I know …
I'm oooone.”
The crowd cheers for the soothing sound of “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals, the third of Golden’s theme songs all the way up until his first retirement in 2015! But it also stops after the first stanza, the bass guitar fading into silence.
Allen Price: “Of course he will prolong this. Of course he would.”
“ZOOOOOOOMBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
{ZOMBIE || THE CRANBERRIES}[MEDIA=youtube]6Ejga4kJUts[/MEDIA]
“Zombie” by The Cranberries causes the arena to nearly break the sound barrier. “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden appears through the opening with his trademark attire: a black top hat on his head, a black T-shirt below, a walking cane he twirls around in his hand as he absolutely does not need it BUT MAY NEED IT AFTER THIS MATCH, and a pair of boots and wrestling shorts.
Golden slowly struts out with his right hand twirling the cane and his left hand tipping the black top hat just over the edge of his head and brow. He looks down, covering his eyes mysteriously.
But then he removes the hat and does a fancy curtsey for the crowd before looking up and smiling at them.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “If this is how Golden is going out, then what a way it’ll be. He will wrestle in what he calls a Winter Wasteland match. It’s a mixture of a Taipei death match, which he has made his calling card, and even was the second stage of the 3 Stages of Hell tag team match at Back in Business XV between Golden Rock and TxR. But amid the shards of glass glued to Golden’s and Alyster Black’s hands will also be three cages, one on top of the other, with the FWA Championship swaying at the top. It’s a climb, a race, and that’s the simple way of explaining it all.”
Golden struts his way to the ring and enters the cage through the side door. He smiles as he allows the ref to take his hat and walking cane, leaving him as just him, which is more than enough. Golden takes in the atmosphere and closes his eyes. If this is his funeral, then he loves the design of the casket.
Golden then dips his hand in a bucket of glue off to the side, and then into a bucket of glass shards, revealing his hands after three seconds with pointy and sharp glass already causing minor scrapes against his skin.
The music fades – possibly for the last time ever – as Golden looks to the entrance.
{SONNE || RAMMSTEIN}[MEDIA=youtube]YtEWoavDlcM[/MEDIA]
If Golden’s music nearly broke the sound barrier, then Alyster’s music DID break it.
“Eins
Zwei
Drei
Vier
Fünf…”
The crowd then chimes in with the blaring audio!
Crowd: “ECHS! SIEBEN! ACHT! NEUN! AUS!”
This continues until the 30-second mark when the singing pauses and the metal sounds of the song take center stage. The crowd explodes when Alyster Black appears through the curtains. He holds the FWA World Championship over one shoulder and the FWA X Championship over the other.
He walks down with the trademark green and black robe – with yellow and white trim here and there – plus the black mask with yellow markings of a face. Alyster walks to the ring with purpose as the crowd continues singing.
“Hier kommt die Sonne
Hier kommt die Sonne
Sie ist der hellste Stern von allen
Hier kommt die Sonne”
Alyster removes the robe but leaves the mask just before entering the cage, joining his opponent. He hands the championship belts to the referee quickly, a symbol of urgency for this match to begin so Alyster can ABSOLUTELY WRECK “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden one last time.
Allen Price: “I love everything about what I’ve seen from Alyster so far. While Golden has made a spectacle of the start of this and his entrance, Alyster is ALL BUSINESS!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That is what has endeared him to the fans. It’s why he IS the World Champion and X Champion. He is Aly Dos Belts!”
Alyster dips his hands in the glue and then the bucket of glass shards, resulting in a cheer from the fans. All the while, throughout this pre-match step, Alyster is looking directly across the ring at Golden, who watches the champion dive wrist-first into the tapei aspect.
There are two noticeable ways to the top. One is by climbing inside the cell and reaching a latched opening along the side of the ceiling of each cell, which leads to the floor of the next one.
The second way is by exiting the cage through the door and climbing along the outside. This is the more traditional way.
When the bell rings, the crowd begins trading off in a shouting match of “DE-VIN GOOOOOL-DEEEN!” and “ALY’S GONNA KIIIIILLLLL YOOOOUUUUU!” Golden smiles in a big, cheesy way as he stands across the ring from Alyster, who remains still as a pole. Golden then looks up above to see the roof of the first cage, followed by the roof of the second cage, followed by the roof of the third cage.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Golden exclaims, getting a cheer from the crowd.
“Thank youuuuuu .. for doing this … Aaaaaalyster … BLAAAAAAACK! I am sorry … for the scaaaaaar … on your heart … but you have a chance … to pay me … baaaaack … once and for allllll.”
Golden lunges forward and Alyster meets with a grapple. The two push one another in a came of strength to try and gain the upper hand, which the reigning FWA World Champion wins. Alyster backs Golden into the turnbuckle and takes the first shot, a punch with the glass of shards connecting to Golden’s cheek. The challenger is bleeding after one punch.
Alyster steps back and Golden holds his hand against his cheek, looking down and seeing the blood. He then looks up with a devilish smile.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Golden lunges back at Alyster, who whips Golden around and throws another right hand. Golden ducks this one and lands an open-fist punch into the stomach. Alyster’s mask guards his face, but Golden can attack the midsection. He even notices the scar of “F” “W” and “A” over his heart. With every punch, Golden makes a small cut with the shards of glass on his hands.
Allen Price: “If Chris wants Alyster to win, then I’m rooting for him. Let’s go, Alyster BLACK!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “That won’t win Chris back to you, Allen.”
Allen Price: “Whatever.”
Golden whips Alyster across the ring and tries a clothesline. It misses. Alyster hits the original ropes but Golden meets him with a jumping leg lariat across the chest and shoulders. Alyster goes down as “The Rotten Gold” lands the first takedown blow. Golden then mounts atop Alyster and begins punching into the mask, which hurts Golden more than Alyster but at least presses against Alyster’s face!
Allen Price: “This ring is going to be drenched in blood by the end of this. It’s disgusting, and only a disgusting person like Golden would ask for this match.”
Golden gets off of Alyster and looks down at his bloody hand and wrists from the shards of glass piercing his skin. He smiles again, but when he turns, he’s met with a ferocious right hand punch from Alyster Black. The impact and the pain of the glass shards knocks Golden onto his back. He then rolls out of the ring.
Alyster follows as Golden tries to gain some space from his opponent. Alyster smashes Golden’s face against the side of the cage, rubbing it against the steel chains. “The Rotten Gold” throws an elbow to try and reverse the way of things, but it’s nowhere near the target. Alyster then whips Golden into the side of the ring and kicks him hard in the stomach. Then an uppercut that slices open Golden’s jaw.
Alyster belly-to-belly throws Golden against the side of the cage, which rattles and shakes on impact. Alyster tries a right-hand punch but Golden dodges. Alyster’s hand hits the cage and causes more bleeding due to the glass shards, which are now falling to the floor upon each impact. Less and less sits on their hands.
Golden kicks the gut and hits a snap suplex where Alyster lands back first into the edge of the ring! The champion crumbles off of the edge as Golden begins to strut around the outside of the ring and skip a bit, ending with a sway back to the struggling Alyster Black.
Allen Price: “Why is he being so cocky? What is this dancing about?!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Why do you care, Allen? Nothing has been really done so far. No one can win with a pinfall or submission. The only way to win the match is by exiting the cage or climbing up through the door all the way to the top and retrieving the belt hanging above the third cage! Everything happening on the ground floor is just the appetizer.”
Allen Price: “You’re right that nothing is frantic about the match until someone starts climbing.”
Golden is having too much fun at the bottom level. He rolls Alyster back into the ring and immediately hits a one-armed running bulldog planting Alyster into the ring. Shards of glass bounce into the air on impact, and each move is fraught with the possibility of both the man on offense and man on defense landing on a sharp shard of glass laying on the floor outside the ring – or inside the ring.
Golden slowly picks Alyster up and begins to have a chat, as he is prone to do.
“I wanted you because no one has defined my run – this latest run – in the FWA more than you and Danny. You may not liiiike that … Alyster Blaaaaaaaack … but it’s true. And you may not liiiiiike me … Alyster Blaaaaaack … but I … I wish we could do this … foreeeeeeever.”
Golden then tries a belly-to-belly suplex, but Alyster headbutts him right away. The counter is a sternum-first irish whip into the turnbuckle, and a saito suplex onto the ring mat as Golden stumbles out of the corner holding his midsection. Then Alyster hits a pendulum backbreaker, landing it with an extra oomph for the chance of breaking Golden’s spine into pieces.
Alyster then stands over Golden and makes a quick walk towards the door of the cage. He opens it while leaning over the ropes and turnbuckle and begins his exit, but Golden grabs his right foot just before he steps through the ropes.
Alyster tries to kick Golden in the face, but “The Rotten Gold” grabs a shard of glass laying on the ring mat and sticks it into Alyster’s achilles area! The champion cannot withstand the pain silently and belts a scream. He then hobbles his way back into the ring as Golden gets up and tries to stick the shard into his stomach, only for Alyster to catch his wrist with both hands to block!
Golden then uses his free hand – left hand – for a punch to the chest. Golden tries another attack with the glass shard but Alyster blocks again by catching at the wrist and this time kicking Golden in the groin!
Next is a knife-edge chop with glass shards adding to the cuts in Golden’s chest. Then a forearm smash to the face. Golden has blood coming down his cheek and spoiling his five o’clock shadow. Alyster hits a snapmare as Golden’s back lands on the glass in the ring, and Alyster follows with a dropkick to the back of the challenger’s head!
Allen Price: “Every time Golden tries something, Alyster Black is answering and proving he’s superior. He has proven it for two years now! Ever since Golden resorted to the glass scarring, he has known Alyster is better when it comes to just wrestling!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Yeah, but this match isn’t just wrestling. It’s a race to the top!”
Alyster again tries to leave the ring, hobbling due to the cut in his achilles. He is able to exit, and Golden rolls towards the exit himself in trail. Alyster then looks up and sees the daunting climb before him – 10-15 feet per cage all the way to the top. He figures it might as well begin now, so he grabs the outside of the chain-link cage and steps up, beginning the climb.
Golden has exited the cage himself and goes to the other side to climb. Alyster reaches the top of the first cage rather quickly, with Golden about 5 seconds behind. Alyster finds his unstable footing on the roof of Cage #1, which has about 5 feet of luxury between the treacherous edge and the side of Cage #2.
Golden is up as well and before Alyster can try to climb Cage #2, Golden tackles him to the floor. He begins throwing wild rights and lefts until Alyster kicks him off! Golden rolls and gets upright, now looking agitated.
“WHY WON’T YOU KEEP THIS GOING?!” he yells. Alyster charges with a knee to the ribs. Then a DDT onto the sketchy and bending roof of Cage #1/floor of Cage #2. Alyster steps back and leans against the side of Cage #2, which he now recognizes as another climb in need. But first, he wants to inflict more pain.
Golden is kneeling and Alyster lands a running forearm smash into his back. He then picks a piece of glass shard that had remained glued to his wrist through Act One of the match and drives it into the back of Golden’s skin!!! Right around where the ribs would be. Alyster then sticks the glass shard into the other side of the lower back, inflicting more pain and causing more blood to appear!
Then Alyster does a double foot stomp into Golden’s back, keeping the challenger down!
Allen Price: “Alyster Black is doing EVERYTHING he needs to in order to stress that HE is the one who will walk out of here the FWA World Champion! And that Golden will be retiring!”
Alyster Black turns to Cage #2 and begins climbing, but he does it at a slightly slower pace than expected and Golden REFUSES to stay down. He grabs Alyster by the ankle and on the other achilles drives a shard of glass into the skin and tissue!!! Alyster falls to the top of the cell and rolls to the edge. Golden then begins pummeling Alyster against his mask until the champion retreats down the side of the cage and hops to the floor! Golden is in pain as Alyster collects himself at the bottom of the structure.
Instead of climbing to the top of Cage #2, though, Golden seizes a chance with Alyster not looking and does a SUICIDE DIVE FROM THE TOP OF THE CELL!!!
Alyster side steps at the last moment and Golden catches just one half of him, the other half crashing into the fan barricade! Both men are down and the crowd begins YELLING in entertainment!
Allen Price: “THIS IS INSANITY! Someone should stop this! Both men are bleeding and broken at this point!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “This is classic. Historic! Only the third triple cage match in FWA history and another tapei death match in Golden’s long career! And it’s with everything at stake! Title. Career. A rivalry hangs in the balance! Keep. It. Going.”
Alyster surprisingly is up first. He grabs Golden around the neck and slams him down with a bodyslam. Then he takes two steps to the side of the cage and begins his second climb of the outside of Cage #1. Golden is not moving much, slowly rolling to his side. By the time he is kneeling, Alyster has his hand over the edge of the top of the cage.
Allen Price: “If Alyster can sprint to the top, then he will win it right here! He has a huge head start!”
But he does not try to finish that scale. Instead, Alyster points to his elbow and then the crowd. The fans all cheer as Alyster LEAPS OFF for a pointed elbow drop 15 FEET DOWN INTO GOLDEN!!!
Allen Price: “WHAT A MADMAN! ALYSTER BLACK TAKING NO QUARTER TONIGHT!”
Alyster lays there for a second and eventually props Golden up against the barricade. He then does Violence Party, getting the crowd even more excited with frantic cheers heard throughout the arena. It’s DEAFENING!
Alyster leaves Golden a puddle of sweat, fatigue, and blood on the floor after the elbow drop and Violence Party. He begins to scale the cage, making the top in about 10 seconds of climbing. Alyster then looks down as Golden begins to rustle below. Somehow … the challenger is still moving.
Golden tries to catch up, making a quick climb of the cell after recovering from the 15-foot dive with a rough impact. Alyster is still up first and before Golden can get over the edge and to the top, Alyster meets him with a stingy right-hand punch to the face. Then a second one. Then a third one. Golden eventually is hanging by one hand off the side of the cage!
Alyster grabs one of the final glass shards in his wrist and plunges it into the hand of Golden, who REFUSES to let go. Alyster then begins carving his own message into the wrist.
Allen Price: “WHAT?! EYE FOR AN EYE?! YES! YES!”
He carves out a “D” in the wrist. Then an “I” next to it. And finally an “E” to finish the sentiment!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster Black is saying what some – such as Chris Peacock – want to say as well to “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden! ‘Die already!’”
Allen Price: “YES! Die, you hack!”
Alyster tries to land one more punch to the face but Golden surprises him by swinging his hanging arm and connecting into the mask, stunning Alyster enough to pull himself onto the top of the cage. Golden then grabs Alyster around the waist and hits a German suplex!
Golden holds the waist lock and rolls over to his knees and feet. A second German suplex!!!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “All of the sudden, Golden has turned the tide of this match atop Cage #1! No one has made it on top of Cage #2 yet!”
Golden gets up and hits a THIRD German Suplex, this time releasing Alyster and throwing him against the side of Cage #2! Golden smiles as Alyster busts open part of the cage on impact. Golden then walks inside of Cage #2 with Alyster and hits his vertical suplex into a sitout faceplant!
Allen Price: “Golden needs to die already, dammit! How does he keep going?!”
Golden begins climbing from the inside of the cage and unlocks the latch in the ceiling. He then pushes the door of the roof open and climbs through, reaching the top of the 12-foot-high Cage #2! Golden is so much closer to winning the FWA World Championship!
Alyster Black begins stirring and realizes he is a full story behind. He sees Golden above him and quickly scurries to the wall of the cage, climbing from the inside. Golden can easily exit Cage #3 and climb the outside to the top, where the World Championship is hanging and lightly swaying.
“It’s not time to be oooooover … yyyyyyyyet” he says, turning back to meet Alyster in the opening. Golden and Alyster now stand inside of Cage #3 and begin throwing punches back and forth. The whole scene feels like a movie, with the crowd chiming in with a “HOLY SHIT!” chant. Alyster tries to gain the edge but Golden smashes his face into the side of the cage. Then smashes his face into the other side!
Golden and Alyster both are bloody from face to chest, with Alyster even bleeding beneath his mask!
Golden looks at Alyster and says, “This one is for Rondo!” He hits a cutter – a variation of the Amazing KO cutter used by Rondo – right onto the floor of Cage #3!
Golden sits next to Alyster, who lays face down inside of Cage #3. Golden then smiles and elicits a “HA-HAAAAAA” although it’s more fatigued than the ones at the start of the match.
“The Rotten Gold” then gets up and waits for Alyster to rise up. He has one more homage to pay as he stands inside of the top cell, waiting for a final blow and moment. As Alyster Black slowly stirs and gets to his knees, Golden crouches down.
“This one … is for a rockstar.”
When Alyster gets up, Golden fires off a version of the “Remix” superkick! But Alyster dodges it! And turns the tide with a kick and swinging neckbreaker! It’s just enough of a stymie of Golden’s run of offense to allow Alyster to lay down next to his foe and catch a breather!
Allen Price: “This is just insanity at this point. Both men are desperately trying to get one more cage up to grab the championship! I just hope Alyster is the one to do it!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “They can open their eyes and look up and SEE it hanging there!”
Alyster Black is first up, exiting the door to Cage #3 and beginning a slow and fatigued climb up the side. Golden sees Alyster trying this and does a dropkick into the side of the cage, knocking the reigning World Champion off-balance and causing him to fall to his feet. Golden slowly gets up and sees Alyster try to climb again. He again gets him off balance on the outside, this time shoulder-blocking the side of the cage from the inside.
Golden and Alyster then catch one another eye to eye through the cage’s steel links. Alyster is with his mask on. Golden smiles back at him.
“I wish … we could do this … foreeeeever,” Golden says, as he presses his blood-covered face up against the cage siding.
Alyster punches the cage right where Golden’s face is, and this allows the champion to begin climbing. Golden hurries out of the door and grabs Alyster’s foot to prevent him from getting fully to the top of the 10-foot structure.
Golden climbs up alongside Alyster and the two make it to the top at the same time. Alyster Black lands a fatigued right hand to the face. Then a stomp with his boot to the nose. He looks up and sees the championship swaying about 3 feet above his head, easily close enough to reach up and grab it with an outstretched arm and tippy toes.
But Golden low-blows him from behind, causing Alyster to go down to his knees!
Golden then sees a chance for himself to do the same, grab the belt on his tippy toes and win it!
Allen Price: “NO! NO!”
But he looks back down at Alyster Black and smiles.
“ONE MORE MOMENT, ALYSTER! ONE MORE MOMENT OF THE FINAL ACT!”
“The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden props Alyster Black up steps back to the other side of Cage #3. Alyster is about two feet from the edge of the cage as Golden charges and tries to TACKLE HIM OFF THE CAGE!
But Alyster Black explodes with a ONE-SHOT KILL lariat that nearly takes Golden’s head off!!!
Allen Price: “YES! YES! IT’S OVER!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Alyster with the ONE-SHOT KILL and he can grab the belt right now!”
But the champion doesn’t. Instead, he picks Golden up and for the first time all match – amid all the talking from Golden – speaks.
“I’m going to end it. You. Go to hell with me. This is the moment you wanted.”
Alyster then hoists Golden onto his shoulders and walks to the edge of Cage #3’s ceiling!
Allen Price: “What?! What is he thinking?!”
As Alyster is set to leap off the cage, Golden elbows the side of his face and slides off his back! NO BOMB TO HELL THIS TIME! Golden scurries to one side of the 12-foot-wide structure and charges forward, jumping up with his knee to hit an …
Allen Price: “*audible gasp*”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “EQUALIZER! GOLDEN HIT AN EQUALIZER!”
Alyster Black goes down like a bag of bricks. Golden looks down and smiles at the reigning World Champion, who refuses to stay down given the situation. Golden senses that he may need a second one. So he steps to the other side of the cage and with blood all over his face and bloody cuts throughout his chest and ribs, Golden charges forward and hits a SECOND Equalizer finisher!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Golden gave a homage to Rondo! He gave a homage to Ramon! Now a homage to Danny ‘F’n’ Toner!”
On the second one, Alyster Black is stunned and slowly tips over the edge of the ceiling of Cage #3 and down 10 feet to the top of Cage #2! The entire cage rattles on impact as Golden looks down at him.
Allen Price: “GET UP! SOMEONE! CHRIS! ANYONE GET IN HERE TO STOP THIS!”
The challenger is barely able to stand at this point, but he crawls to the edge and looks over the edge – the camera seeing him from below smiling while blood appears from his mouth.
Golden then rolls back to his stomach and gets up, looking up at the World Championship swaying above.
Allen Price: “This can’t be happening.”
“We are not done,” Golden says.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “It’s happening, Allen! It’s REALLY … happening!”
Golden grabs the championship and unhooks it, retrieving his record-setting FOURTEENTH championship reign and record-tying FIFTH World Championship.
{RESULT}Winner: Devin Golden at 27:19.
There’s blood everywhere. It’s all over the face and chest of “The Rotten Gold” Devin Golden. It’s all over the chest of Alyster Black and while his mask covers his face – there are cuts and blood there, too. Blood stains all over the canvas 37 feet below where Golden stands. Blood stains in the chain-linked cage walls. Blood stains on the padding on the floor outside of the cage. Blood now on the plate of the World Championship held by the fatigued winner, who can barely stand up.
Golden walks over to the edge of Cage #3 and sits there, holding the FWA World Championship. He was prepared for this to be his final match – his funeral, as he said earlier. Here he is now holding the World Championship yet again. He outlasted Alyster effin’ Black, the Forever X Champion and one of his long-time rivals. He outlasted “D” “I” and “E” being carved with a shard of glass into his wrist, which still has blood coming from it and most certainly will be a set of scars.
Allen Price: “Devin Golden is World Champion again. I think I’m going to be sick.”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “I can take it home for you if you’d like.”
Allen Price: “I cannot believe the sight I’m seeing: Devin Golden holding the World Championship at the top of the cage.”
Golden holds it in the air as the crowd cheers one last time for the victor. “The Rotten Gold” looks down at Alyster Black, who still has not rolled over from laying face-up on the top of Cage #2. Golden then nods his head and says, “There will be moooore. I am suuuure you are not done.”
Is he referring to Carnal Contendership? The F1 Climaxx? Who knows? For now, Golden is yet again the World Champion – close to one year after he surprised the wrestling world at Meltdown X: The Bounty. The last scene is Golden holding the World Championship high into the air as he sits on the edge of Cage #3, his feet dangling dangerously over the side of the cell.
“HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “You can just see the physical toll that this match has taken on the new champion, Price. That was a war and I do not think that either man is going to be the same again.”
As Devin gingerly climbs down from the top cage onto the middle one, ensuring that he does not loosen his grip on his newly-won championship, he breathes heavily. Still absolutely covered in blood, he grins through it all.
Allen Price: “At least for Devin Golden, there will be cause for celebration. The same cannot be said for Alyster Black, who I am sure will be devastated about this loss…”
A shot of Alyster shows the now-former champion still nursing some of the many fresh injuries that he has sustained during the match. Golden completes his descent to the floor and continues his celebration by re-entering the bottom cage and puts his feet down on the mat - a natural and comfortable feeling. A grin forms on his face and he stands in the middle of the ring as the chorus of ‘Zombie’ plays once again, his arms out, head tilted back and eyes closed.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “Well, wrestling fans it has proven to be another historic edition of Saturday Night Fallout… but if we have learned anything, it is that the Devin Golden show will last forever… he is truly Siemp-”
{HE’S THE GREATEST DANCER || SISTER SLEDGE}[MEDIA=youtube]TDwutKpVyas[/MEDIA]
The fans EXPLODE into a barrage of cheers and roars of approval as the Sister Sledge tune blares through the speaker systems inside the arena. In the ring, Devin Golden’s eyes widen as he knows what this means and who is going to be coming out. After a few seconds, Chris Peacock walks out from the back to an earth-shattering pop! He has the Golden Opportunity briefcase in his right hand and is dragging a referee by the collar with his left, and is making a beeline towards the ring!
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’s doing it! Chris Peacock… he’s going to cash in! The vulture is here to pick the bones and it must be deja vu for Devin Golden!”
Allen Price: “I’m speechless, Jean-Luc.”
Peacock walks through the open door to the bottom cage and brings the referee in with him and through the ropes and into the ring. Peacock gives Golden a middle finger… and shoves the case into the chest of the referee he brought out with him! More of the glass is cleaned up… and Peacock takes a spot in a corner, looking at a stunned Golden! The referee passes the case to Natalie Rosenberg at ringside, who nods her head at the instructions that she has been given.
Natalie Rosenberg: “Ladies and gentlemen… Chris Peacock is CASHING IN HIS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY CONTRACT! Therefore, the following contest is scheduled for one fall and it is for the FWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP!”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “HE’S REALLY GOING TO DO IT LIKE THIS!”
The fans cheer again and the referee goes over to check on Golden and he takes the championship away from him. Golden takes a couple of steps into the middle of the ring and drops to his knees whilst the referee performs his checks on Peacock prior to the match starting. Golden’s expression turns into a smirk as he looks at Peacock and he closes his eyes, holding his arms out.
Allen Price: “What is he doing, Jean-Luc?”
Jean-Luc Watkins: “He’s accepting his fate. He knows that his illustrious career is about to be over, like this. Chris Peacock wants to kill him off like this… in the easiest manner that he could and Devin knows there is nothing he can do about it.”
Peacock wears a confused expression on his face as he sees what his opponent is doing. The referee is about to call for the bell, but Peacock holds his arm back! There is some confusion from the crowd… as Peacock shakes his head. He holds his arm through the open cage door and takes the microphone from Rosenberg.
Chris Peacock: “No. Stop. I’m not doing it. Not like this.”
The crowd boo Peacock for his decision, and his hands are visibly shaking as he takes a step closer to Golden, who seems slightly confused himself now.
Chris Peacock: “I’m not going to give you the satisfaction, Devin. I know this is what you want. You want everyone to be able to tell me that I did it cheaply, and I took the easy way out to become champion… and that I didn’t really beat you. I’m not going to let you tarnish MY legacy with that bullshit, Devin! Even after you’ve gone!”
Peacock seems to be fighting back tears, the weight of his decision clearly piling on top of him.
Chris Peacock: “When I become FWA World Champion, I don’t want there to be an asterisk next to it. I don’t want anyone to be able to say that I didn’t earn it properly, especially against you. You don’t have that power over me anymore. I’m free of your games so I’m not playing anymore.”
He crouches down, his face just inches away from Golden’s and he talks in a slow and calculated way.
Chris Peacock: “No… what I am going to do is take this from you and leave you and everyone else without any reason to doubt me. I’m going to do what I did at Back in Business and I am going to BEAT YOU! NO COMPLAINTS! NO EXCUSES! I’m going to KICK YOUR ASS AND SEND YOU PACKING AND TAKE MY TITLE ON FEBRUARY 12TH! BACK IN TOWN! YOU’VE GOT TWENTY-NINE DAYS, ASSHOLE!”
Peacock slams the microphone on the mat and he and Devin stare into each other’s eyes for a few seconds before Peacock stands up and backs away from him. Peacock snatches his briefcase back from Natalie Rosenberg before departing the bottom cage.
Jean-Luc Watkins: “What just happened? It looked like Chris Peacock was about to cash in… and become the FWA World Champion… but he changed his mind at the last second and he will now be cashing in his shot against Devin Golden on February 12th at Back in Town!”
Allen Price: “Chris Peacock realised that he did not want to take the easy way out, Jean-Luc… and despite everything that has happened between us in recent weeks, I respect the hell out of him for making that decision. He wants to be FWA World Champion more than anything else in the world, but he is going to do it HIS WAY.”
The man who will challenge Devin Golden for the FWA World Championship in just under a month departs the bottom cage and on the outside of the ring sees that Alyster Black has been assisted down from the roof of the middle cage and is in the process of refusing medical treatment. The doctors attempt to convince Black to go on a stretcher, but he would rather make his own way back.
Alyster stops resisting when he sees Peacock, and Chris bustles through the medical team to get to his close friend. They share a nod and Chris offers a hand to Black, who takes it, and Chris puts the former champion’s arm over his shoulder and he begins assisting Alyster up the ramp as the fans loudly cheer both men. Chris helps Alyster turn around and the crowd begin loudly chanting Black’s name. In the ring, Devin Golden is watching the scene unfold in a stunned silence, after just a couple of minutes ago thinking his whole world was going to come crashing down.
The final image of Fallout 025 is the duo of Alyster Black - the former champion - and Chris Peacock - the potential next champion - raising their middle fingers at Devin Golden - the current (and possibly forever) champion.
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